Horizons
by ForestWhisper3
Summary: It was a typical plot. Someone finds themselves in a fictional world and suddenly becomes the one to change everything for the better...Right. Not happening. Did they have any idea how terrifying it was to even consider that line of thought? There was no way I was going anywhere NEAR ShinRa, and not even a time traveling Cloud could make- wait, what? OC Self-insert.
1. Chapter 1

So, self inserts have become a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. It's gotten to the point where I kind of want to try my hand at it. _However_, I have been known to be a bit quirky when it comes to ideas, so of course that had to apply itself here.

Therefore, the premise of this story _isn't_ just a self insert, but a self insert combined with _time travel_. How will the poor SI/OC person deal with being in a fictional world that happens to have someone that knows what things _should_ be like?

Unlike other self inserts, I do plan on focusing on other characters rather than just focus on one person at all times. I think it adds a bit more, you know? So it'll switch between first person and third person depending on who I'm focusing on at the time. I hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer for the entire story:** The only thing I own is the plot idea for this story and any original characters that pop up. I don't own Final Fantasy VII or anything else that I might mention.

"blah" = speech

_'blah'_ = thoughts

_"blah"_ = flashback speech or documents

**OoOo** = time skip, scene change, and anything of that sort

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Chapter 1**  
**

Everything was a blur of noises and colors and feelings. I was hardly aware of what was going on around me, having only my own racing thoughts for company as I tried to get my head on straight and figure out what the _hell_ was going on.

I remember cold.

This was one of the few things I would understand the reason to once I finally gained some semblance of coherence. It was everything _else_ that bothered me. Like how it shouldn't _be_ this cold in the first place because I lived in a _desert_- or at least something very close to one. I was never sure.

Fear and confusion were also very prominent.

I'm sure I must have come to all sorts of frightening conclusions and thoughts, especially once the fact that I was a lot _smaller_ than I should be finally sunk in. Distantly, I noted that I was very quiet. Shock, maybe? I wouldn't be surprised, but that meant there could be trouble once everything came to me. If I ended up crying, I wouldn't feel ashamed of it, to be honest. Considering the circumstances, I think almost everyone would have gone through something similar.

Finally, there was disbelief.

That feeling didn't come around until the end of that blurry time, at the first sign of civilization since waking up in the cold. The village was familiar somehow- like something I'd read in a book and imagined in my head when I was a kid, or something that I'd briefly seen on television. At least, that's what I thought until I actually learned the name of the village.

_Nibelheim._

My first thought after being snapped out of my daze was that someone was playing a very bad joke.

After a moment's consideration, I realized that my family would _not_ pull something like this, regardless of how much they liked messing with me- too much of a waste of money, and frankly, _way_ too scary once someone had time to think about it. I doubted my friends were behind it for pretty much the same reason.

Plus, there was _no way_ a practical joke explained the small body.

I could feel the bite of the icy wind on my face and the sort of dull ache that spread through your body when you were out in the cold for too long, so it wasn't a dream...Probably...Maybe...

It still didn't explain how I got here.

"U-Uh...u-umm...It's gonna be fine."

I jumped at the feeling of something landing on my shoulder, turning to face a man. There was a jerk of familiarity when I saw his nervous smile and green eyes, but it took me a moment to place it, and even then, the most I got was a hazy little bit of a memory. He was the man who found me- the one that I vaguely remember talking to me as we made our way to Nibelheim.

He couldn't be that bad if he'd been willing to help me, right?

"I-...I-..."

I swallowed as I realized that I had no idea what to say. I was alone, confused, scared, and probably _really_ far away from home right now. To hell with being a level headed adult, if that was really _Nibelheim_, then I was _fucked_.

"H-Hey now! It's okay! Damn it, please don't cry..."

It wasn't okay, because all I could think about was how my mother would worry, my siblings, what would happen to my dog, and if I would ever manage to get home.

The last one only made me cry harder.

What was the point of this?! This was the sort of thing that you only saw in fanfictions! I wouldn't deny that I had entertained the idea in my mind once in a while, but it had been just for fun! I never _wanted_ it to happen! Couldn't whatever brought me here have chosen someone else? Or at least placed me in a world where I had more of an idea on what to do with myself? I'd only really played Final Fantasy 7, and even then, the farthest I ever got was where Cloud had to cross dress! Any knowledge I had on the story and characters came from wiki, internet videos, and fanfiction- hardly useful if one wanted more of the details like bosses and where to find all the good items!

_'Please just let this be a really bad dream. Let me go __**home**__.'_

I didn't want to be here.

The last thing I felt before slipping into unconsciousness was the feeling of warm arms wrapping around me.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Matthew Allen liked to consider himself a good man. Granted, he'd been alone for a lot of his life, so he couldn't really make an accurate judgment, but the sentiment was still there. So, when he had noticed a disoriented little girl amongst the remains of a small merchant caravan on the side of the road, he hadn't hesitated to help.

When they entered the small village of Nibelheim, he began to have doubts.

It wasn't that he regretted saving the girl. On the contrary, he didn't think he could have lived with himself if he had just left her there. No, he was more concerned as to what he was going to _do_. He doubted a small village like this one would have an orphanage, and he especially doubted the townsfolk would be willing to just let him drop her off with a random villager.

There was also paperwork to consider. The thing about traveling merchants was that they were notorious for messy documentation. On the occasion that there was a birth, they sometimes forgot to get everything legalized before taking off again. For the most part, it was ignored so long as the parents themselves had identification and good merchandise- at least up until the child reached ten years of age, at the latest -but with the girl's parents no doubt dead, he had no way of knowing whether or not she was even in the system yet.

He didn't even have a _name_.

He had tried asking her once he got her in some warm clothes and away from the destruction, but she had been so out of it, that after she didn't answer the first time, he hadn't had the heart to ask again. He imagined that it couldn't have been easy to deal with, and the girl was probably traumatized- another reason for them to refuse housing her, he realized.

He didn't have the kind of money to get a ride to a bigger town, so that was out. Sure, he could handle himself just fine while traveling, but he didn't know if he could do that while looking after a little girl too. So, it was between staying here for a while, or taking a gamble and see if he was good enough to keep them both safe.

He sighed and gently tugged on the small hand he was holding, hoping this place had an inn.

Then, he almost toppled over in shock when the hand tightly squeezed back.

For the first time, the glazed look was gone, replaced by wide eyes and a tense body. Immediately, he panicked. He'd read about this- about how sometimes there was a delayed reaction after experiencing some sort of big shock or event. What the hell had he been _thinking_?! He was nowhere _near_ qualified to deal with a child, much less one in her condition!

"U-Uh...u-umm...It's gonna be fine," he said with a nervous smile and an unsure hand on her shoulder.

Her eyes snapped up and locked with his. "I-...I-..."

He inwardly cringed when she gave a very ominous sniffle and her eyes filled with tears. He didn't like where this was headed. Sure enough, moments later, she was _bawling_.

"H-Hey now! It's okay! Damn it, please don't cry..."

She only cried harder. Nerves shot, he frantically looked around, hoping to find someone that could help him. When he spotted a woman walking down the street, he didn't really notice or register the tenseness of her shoulders or the frown on her face. All he was thinking was: woman equals maternal instincts. Quickly picking up the girl, he dashed over.

"Miss, please, you gotta help," he began, not caring about the desperation clear in his voice. "I can't get her to stop."

To her credit, she took having a frantic stranger approach her with a crying child remarkably well. The only sign that she was startled in any way was the widening of her eyes. Fortunately for him, she was nice enough to push whatever doubts she probably had to the side.

"What's the matter with her?"

"I-I think it's a delayed reaction. I found her in the remains of a merchant caravan-"

The woman gasped. "That's terrible!"

He grimaced, but nodded in agreement. "I couldn't just _leave_ her there, you know? But now she's crying and I don't know what to do!"

The woman bit her lip for a moment, giving him the impression that she was thinking about something. Finally she sighed lightly and took the girl into her arms. "My house isn't too far from here. Let's take her there before figuring out what to do."

Relief spread through him, and he was pretty sure it showed on his face. "_Thank you_."

She smiled slightly. "I can't just let a poor girl cry if I can do something about it. I'm sure you understand, seeing as you picked her up."

"Still, I really appreciate this. I mean no offense, but I know how things can be in small towns. I was a bit worried that I might not find someone willing to lend me a hand."

To his surprise, she scowled. "No offense taken. I know far too well how small towns can be."

There was something there, but he thought it best not to pry. "...Right. Anyway, I'm Matthew Allen."

"Skye Strife. It's a pleasure to meet you, Matthew."

"Likewise."

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~Chapter End**

Hooray for unoriginal names!

Yeah, fanon has Cloud's mom be named Skye, and darn it if that didn't stick with me. Even Matthew was a bit unoriginal, since I based him off of a mix of two characters that I happen to like. He'll be a bit important, since he's going to be the self insert's guardian of sorts as she goes through childhood again (that bit will also be explained later), so I hope you guys like him.

Speaking of names, I need a good one for this self insert. I have a thing about using my own, so I've been trying to come up with one. It's part of the reason I didn't mention it here. Does that technically make it an OC, or is it still self insert since the name is the only thing that would be different? Would it be a combination? What would you call that? Self character? Original insert? Original self character insert?

...Sorry. Questions for another time, I suppose.

Anyway, if you guys have suggestions, I'm willing to hear them. Just...nothing too out there. If it helps, I'm planning on the last name being Allen, since that's Matt's last name and he's going to be her guardian. Again, it's because I have a thing about using my name on the internet, and this is an easy solution.

On a different note, future Cloud won't be in until...chapter three, I think. It might change depending on how chapter two goes. He's usually the one to go back in time travel stories, and I think it will be more interesting with him than with anyone else. Confusing too, but you'll see when I get there. Will having both of them make things easy? It might in some cases, but in others it probably wouldn't. I'm sure you can think of a few reasons why.

That's about all I can think of for now. I hope you enjoyed this first chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

So, here's chapter two. This one is only in first person, I'm afraid, but that's because it's a summary of the years. In other words, it's what happened in the years before the main plot...or something like that.

I got some good suggestions for a name (Freya Strife sounds much more kick ass than Freya Allen, though), but have ultimately decided to go with the name Castalia. It's a little more out there than I'd originally planned, but it was one of those names where, when you see it, it doesn't leave you alone since another part of your brain already decided it's the one you're choosing.

I laughed when I saw the meaning, though. I wonder if my story is trying to tell me something...

Anyway, I won't keep you. I hope you like this chapter.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Chapter 2

**~1 week after arrival**

This...was surreal.

I know I sort of came to the conclusion that I was somehow _in_ a fictional world before I passed out, but it takes a while for something like that to really sink in, you know? I had been here a week and there were times that I thought I was insane- hell, I still _could_ be. For all I knew, I was sitting somewhere in the real world, mumbling to myself and hallucinating. It wasn't a pleasant thought, though, so I tried not to go there too much.

Instead, I focused on the blonde woman in front of me, trying to come to terms with the fact that I was looking at Cloud Strife's_ mother_.

The creators never really said much about her, which was unfortunate, but the bit that had been on wiki seemed accurate enough. Slim, but strong, with pale skin and a slightly darker shade of blonde than Cloud, but the eyes were the same color. She was very pretty.

She also had a mean glare.

It was kind of funny, actually...as long as it wasn't directed at you, anyway. When the man- Matthew -suggested that he take me to the inn once I woke up, he lasted all of two seconds before he changed his mind. I wish I could do that, it was _impressive_. It was also then that I learned a bit about how Matt found me and brought me here. I couldn't believe my luck.

I had been worried about how I was going to get identification on Gaia. Again, the creators never really said how it worked, but knowing some of the things ShinRa allowed, it seemed like it would be important to _not_ be a nobody, as they were much easier to make vanish. Plus, I blame the fans for making me paranoid about the Turks and how far they're willing to track down a person's records. Anything I decided to do would be _way_ too suspicious if I didn't have papers, so learning that traveling merchants were really bad at it took a huge weight off my back. Hearing Matt say he was going to register me was even better.

Now if I could only get used to being a little girl again.

Going from just shy of twenty two to five, at least judging from my appearance, was disorienting and frustrating. Sure, I was a bit of a child at heart, and was pretty easy going most of the time, but not being treated like an adult when you _were_ an adult would grate on anyone's nerves after a while. Adding to that the fact that I couldn't _reach_ anything anymore and was tripping over everything because I was used to a bigger body...well, I was not a happy camper.

"You have to leave the room eventually, you know."

I pouted, mostly because I knew she was right, but after tripping face first into the _toilet_, I had refused to leave the room I was sharing with Skye until I got some semblance of balance again.

It wasn't going too well.

"Come on, don't you want to see Cloud again?"

I fidgeted. Of course I wanted to see him- what fan of the game _wouldn't_? -but they had no idea how strange it had been to look at a one year old Cloud. It had been adorable and terrifying all at once. I couldn't look into his bright, innocent eyes without feeling sick to my stomach. I supposed that was because I knew that in a little over a decade, he would be in the hands of a sick, twisted man and _tortured_ until he _broke_.

I'm sure this is the point where, in a fan fiction, the new character would take advantage of their younger body by training themselves for a few years. Then, they would bravely join ShinRa in order to prevent the bad things from happening- somehow making friends with all the right people and placing themselves in a position to help.

I couldn't help but wonder if those authors would still want to do that if they were in my position.

I guess it wouldn't be much of a story if they just sat in the background, but the truth of the matter was that ShinRa _scared_ me. Call me a coward, but who in their right mind would want to join that company if they knew what it did? It would be like handing yourself in to the devil.

Den of monsters, indeed. Besides, what were the odds that I could even _make_ a difference?

"Hey, you okay?"

I sighed inwardly. I really needed to stop zoning out. Eventually, the whole traumatized excuse probably wasn't going to work. "Sorry..."

Skye smiled, and it sent a pang of homesickness through me when it made me remember my mom's smile. Skye had _nothing_ on my mom's smile. It didn't give me the same feeling of comfort, or safety, or _love_...

I wished she was here. I wouldn't feel so scared if she was.

"Come on," she said while picking me up (it was so weird to be small enough for that again). "I'll take you there this time, but I want to see you up and about on your own by the end of the week, okay?"

I nodded. What else could I do? If I was right, then I was probably going to be in Nibelheim for a while, so I should start getting used to it and figure out what I was going to do with myself. I just had to keep moving forward...I owed my mom that much, at least. I doubted she would want me to wallow in self-doubt.

I had a new life now. I had to make the best of it.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~6 months after arrival**

Before I knew it, I'd been in Nibelheim for half a year.

Matt and I sort of became permanent residents at the Strife household at Skye's insistence, causing a wave of rumors in the town. I felt kind of guilty about that- if it hadn't been for me, then Matt could have just passed the town and gone on with his life and the rumors would have never started. Instead, he was now my guardian and, according to the villagers, Skye's lover.

I never liked gossip when in my other life, and it was things like this that made me remember why.

Skye had obviously still been suffering the loss of her husband when we met her. I learned that he had died in an accident while the two of them had been traveling to Nibelheim a little after Cloud was born. When she had arrived alone, the rumor mill immediately started, solidifying her as an unmarried woman with a child before she even had the chance to properly explain herself. Since she had nowhere else to go, she had to face their scorn while mourning and struggling to take care of her son. I have a deep respect for her because of that, but it only makes the injustice of having even _more_ rumors pop up about her even deeper.

I think Matt felt the same way, since he did his best to dissuade those rumors. Not that they _listened_, but it was the thought that counted, I guess.

"Come on, kiddo. You don't want to be late for school, do you?"

I groaned and let my head fall into the couch cushion. If there was one downside I had to choose about being little again, it was _school_. Don't get me wrong, I love learning new things, but it was the _homework_ I hated. The world would be a great place if all you had to do was go and listen to what they were saying. Although, considering I already knew most of the material (history of Nibelheim and lessons on the local wildlife were new to me), even that was mind numbingly dull.

"Do I have to?"

Matt chuckled and picked me up. I had to admit it was a nice feeling to be carried; I was going to be sad when I was too big for that again. "I know you're bored, but hang in there. Mayor Lockheart told me that if you do good this year, he'll let you take classes with the big kids."

Skip a couple of grades? Hell yes. The sooner I got schooling done with, the better.

"Really?"

"Yup! _Although it took a while to convince the bastard,_" he muttered.

I couldn't resist. "What's a bastard?"

I had to try really hard not to laugh at the way his face paled. I felt a little bad at making him panic, but my inner child quickly pushed that aside with a cackle. Hey, if I was going to be a little kid again, I had to play the part, right? It was so much more fun when you had the mindset to appreciate a prank like this.

"Nothing! It's nothing! Er...don't tell Skye, okay?"

"Why?"

"B-Because it...can be our little secret! Yea! Wouldn't that be neat?"

I laughed. This man was horrible at dealing with this sort of thing. He should have just told the truth.

"Hey! You laughed!"

I blinked in confusion. What was so strange about-...oh. Hmm, thinking back, I don't think I've laughed since I got here. I've smiled, but I haven't laughed. I guess I just never realized it.

"This is great! Just wait until Skye hears about this!"

Almost as if summoned by the call of her name, Skye came rushing into the room, Cloud in her arms and a huge grin on her face.

"Matt! Matt! He spoke! Cloud said his first word!"

Cloud was clapping happily in her arms and giggling. "Ma! Ma!"

Dear God, that was just too cute.

Matt just laughed. "I guess this is a day for firsts, then! Cassie laughed just a little before you came in."

"Oh, that's wonderful! I'm glad you're happy now," she said with a smile before turning to Matt. "And if you're just going to call her Cassie all the time, why didn't you make _that_ her name?"

"Because it gives her the _option_ of having it be her nickname," he defended. "Trust me, it can get frustrating when what most people assume is your nickname is actually your name. My poor sister had to live with that for years, and had the unfortunate luck of having the sort of shortened name that went terribly with most last names. It bothered her to no end knowing that if she had the long version, it actually would sound kind of nice."

"...I suppose I can understand that. But, did you have to choose such a strange name?"

"Castalia is a fine name," he said with a pout.

"You named her after a character in a Nibel fairy tale."

"It was a neat story. Besides, the name's different, but not so much that it would be considered strange. That's the best kind."

"I'm sensing some name envy here."

"Yea, well...we can't _all_ have cool names like Skye or Cloud- oh hey! Ha, I see what you did there."

Skye just shook her head with a smile.

I watched them continue to talk (I ended up missing class) and gave a smile of my own. I missed my family so much that it felt like my heart was tearing in two at times, but...looking at the four of us together...If one didn't know any better, it was like we were a family of our own. I still felt out of place here, but I knew that if I didn't make some sort of bonds, I would probably go crazy. I liked my solitude, but I also liked knowing that someone was there for me. Human nature to want company and all that, I guess.

I was just nervous about what that meant for the future. If I let myself get close to them...would I want to let them go when the time came?

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~1 year after arrival**

It's been _one year_ since I arrived here. _One_. Thinking about it made my heart ache. How was my mother handling my disappearance?

"Da, did the new book come yet?"

I ignored the pang of guilt that went through me as Matt answered. I never really knew my dad on Earth- he'd died in a car accident when I was five -but there had been videos with him in them, and my mom made sure to tell me lots of stories. He was a kind, honest man who was always laughing or smiling, but he also had a good head on his shoulders, worked hard, and knew just when to be serious. My mom said he was a real man.

I remember I was really happy when I was with him.

That was part of the reason I was guilty, but him dying when I was young had, in a strange way, made it a little easier to accept Matt. He'd seemed so lonely when we first met, and I had slowly seen that go away the longer we stayed in Nibelheim. One day, when he'd been going through one of his bad days, I pushed my discomfort aside and told him he was a good dad. He'd been ecstatic. After that, I didn't have the heart to stop calling him that. I know my real dad wouldn't have minded, but it still felt strange. I told myself that I would get used to it. Matt was a good man, and I had kind of forced him here. It was the least I could do.

Skye, however, was a different matter entirely.

With my dad gone, it was obvious that I would grow close to my mom, especially since she never got together with another man. She was the one who put up with me when I was angry, comforted me when I was sad, gave me guidance even when I didn't really want to hear it and so much more. She went through so much just to make sure my brother, sister, and I grew up happy and loved. She became my pillar, and I loved her with all of my heart. So, no matter how much Skye had told me that she and Matt had come to an agreement, and that she was okay with me calling her Mom, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. She wasn't my mom, and I wasn't sure she would ever come close.

That was the other reason why I felt guilty.

I could tell that it made her sad. Cloud was fine saying Ma and Da (the accents in Nibelheim took some getting used to), but I only used Da. If I had been anyone else, someone who didn't have memories of a mother they loved, I'm sure I wouldn't have had a problem with it. She was definitely a good mother...just not _mine_.

I was going in circles now.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~2 years after arrival**

I was now seven years old again.

"Play?"

I blinked and looked up from the book I was reading to see Cloud standing there with a smile on his face and a ball in his hands. I'd finished with the necessary schooling Nibelheim required about a month ago, but that didn't mean I was going to pass up the opportunity to learn all that I could. Even if I never left, it was still good to know things, especially since Gaia was so different from Earth (my sister would be laughing right now, I'm sure. I was hardly a bookworm in my old life). I'd gotten more than one concerned look from Matt and Skye, and if I was in their place, I would be worried too. So, I did my best to still act like a kid.

"Okay."

Besides, who could say no to the adorable sight that was a three year old Cloud?

I'd gotten used to him being so young, for the most part, but there were still times that I just couldn't help staring in disbelief. He was so _different_ from the future Cloud- all smiles, sunshine, and pretty rainbows as opposed to the serious angst fest he'd become. True, he was a little kid right now, but it was still weird. Wasn't he supposed to be this loner kid that actively avoided anyone but Tifa? Had I changed his character somehow just by being here?

I hoped not. I really doubted Cloud could beat Sephiroth with fluffiness.

Still, I had to admit it was kind of nice. I'd been the youngest in my family, and hadn't really gotten along with my siblings until we were older, and by then, our past issues kept us from being truly tight knit. Now, _I_ was the older one. I had the chance to form the sort of sibling relationship I had always wanted. It was a little selfish on my part, but it wasn't all for me. I also wanted to give Cloud a bit of happiness before it all went to hell. I think he, more than most, deserved something like that.

_This_, at least, was something I knew I could do.

"Sissy, play!"

"I'm going, I'm going!"

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~3 years after arrival**

The transition between seven and eight brought the most changes, I think.

Since I was showing an active interest in learning even after finishing school, Matt went ahead and arranged for me to continue my education. Apparently, in towns that were out of the way like Nibelheim, there was an option to have material and courses sent by mail. The only catch was that you had to do _extremely_ well. After all, it cost money to do something like that, and the board of education- or whatever the equivalent was here -over in Junon did _not_ like wasting time and money on someone who wasn't going to take it seriously.

Ah, homework. The bane of my existence.

Besides that, I also began studying under Master Zangan. No, it wasn't because I'd randomly changed my mind and decided to join ShinRa, or some stupid crap like that. It had been a complete accident. Some of the local kids had been picking on Cloud, and I'd gotten so upset that I'd punched one of them in the face.

The kid was a year younger than me, but I regret _nothing_.

Unfortunately, not a lot of people were too happy about that. They'd argued on what to do with me before Zangan stepped in and said he'd teach me to "reign in my anger." Maybe not those exact words, but I remember he'd said something that reminded me of old cliché martial arts movies. All in all, it was more of a punishment than a positive thing. He was _strict_ and a slave driver to boot.

I suppose it would keep me in shape, at least.

The last big change had come out of left field. Seriously. Nibelheim only had one handyman- a man by the name of Cole. He was in charge of repairing buildings if they got damaged and that sort of thing. However, it was a well known fact that he'd always wanted to open up a shop. Not just any shop, mind you, but a _one stop_ shop. That meant that he would have to sell everything from materia, to potions, to weapons, and so on.

Being the handyman he was- and apparently a student at some special school way back when -he knew he had the weapons and armor covered. He knew where to buy the more general items, so that was fine with him too. The only thing that stopped him was items like potions. The finished products were expensive, but the materials themselves were much cheaper, so he had always put his plan to the side, telling himself that he would find a way to get them or find someone that could make them.

Then I'd come along.

To be honest, I had had no idea that he'd kept track of my progress when he first learned of the "little prodigy," or of the increasing discussions between him and Mayor Lockheart (and later him, Mayor Lockheart, and Matt) once I'd finished. It turned out that, with my "smarts," I was a prime candidate to learn the fine art of potion making...or was it item creation? Synthesis? Alchemy? Well, whatever it was, it apparently needed a person with a certain mindset. I wasn't sure I had that mindset, but Cole sure seemed to think so.

So, about four months after I began my mail in education, Matt finally told me about Cole, and what he wanted from me. He also told me that it was fine to refuse; I was young (ha!) and should think about it carefully since it took a lot of hard work, study, and dedication. I had to admit that I balked a bit at the thought. I was lazy as hell, which explained why I hated doing homework, and it did not sound like it would be a fun time for me if I agreed. I already had daily torture from Zangan, and was finally getting some material that challenged me (with the non-Earth subjects), so did I really want even more stress added on top of that?

Then I thought about it some more, and figured I was crazy.

There were no potions on Earth. No phoenix downs or maiden's kisses. How cool would it be to learn how to _make_ these things? And I was thinking about _not_ taking this chance? Cole already agreed to foot the bill for the extra stuff, and that all Matt had to do was send a letter to Junon explaining the situation and what he wanted, so really, I was all set. Accepting the offer might have also been out of some remaining desire of wanting to be a nurse back on Earth (I know, kind of contradictory of my lazy nature, but when I really wanted something I _went_ for it), but at that point, I think I was thinking more about how interesting it was going to be.

_I am Snape, the Potions Master._

Ah, Potter Puppet Pals. Always good for a giggle...Damn, now I miss the internet again.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~4 years after arrival**

I stared at her. She stared back.

This had been going on for a while, but in my defense, it was a little hard to believe what I was seeing after being on Gaia for four years now.

"Puppy!"

I couldn't help but snort. "Yea, Cloud, it's a puppy."

Not just _any_ puppy, though. _My_ puppy.

How did I know it was her if she was a puppy again (seriously, was that a _requirement_ to come here)? She had the same coloring and the same scar on her back right leg from where she'd gotten surgery. It's strange that _that_ carried over, considering she was an adult when she got it, but I guess it was to make it easier to recognize her.

It also helped that when I picked her up, I noticed she had a letter tied around her neck that said:

_They know where you are and wish you the best. Your mother also wants you to know that no matter what, she'll always love you. _

_Good luck, _

_Minerva._

Immediately, my heart ached and tears flooded my eyes. It was nice to know that my family knew that I wasn't dead, but it _hurt_ to have this brought up again. Was it supposed to give me closure? It sure didn't feel like it right now, especially when I noticed the photograph. My mother, my brother, and my sister, together and smiling even though I could see the sadness in their eyes. It seemed so _final_- like there was no chance of ever going back to the life I knew. Maybe...that's what Minerva meant to tell me by sending me this...

Not that it made it hurt any less. In fact, it made it hurt even more.

Minerva had something to do with me being here, that much I now knew. The question now is what the hell does she _want_? I wasn't a fighter or some genius prodigy that had happened to play the game so much that they knew every little detail, I was just a regular person with the basic knowledge that any fan would have. So, what was I supposed to do? What could _I_ do that someone else couldn't? Why choose _me_?

"Sissy?"

I jerked out of my thoughts and noticed Cloud looking at me, his eyes wide in concern, and smiled slightly. He really was a sweet kid.

"Let's go home, chicky."

He hesitated for a moment, but, seeing that I seemed to be okay, finally nodded and smiled back. "Can we keep him?"

"Her," I corrected, "and we'll have to ask Da and...Ma."

She wasn't my mother, and a part of me would always know that...but I was willing to let her try now.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~5 years after arrival**

The war with Wutai started this year, and there were already rumors of three SOLDIERs who were starting to shine above the others: Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis. The paper said they were fifteen years old, reminding me of just how sick ShinRa was again.

Unfortunately, it also had the added side effect of making Cloud more adventurous

I don't know if it was because he was starting to get into that "I must join SOLDIER" mindset, or because didn't feel so shy with me there, but he wasn't as timid or secluded as I thought he'd be. The theory that I was changing his personality somehow came to mind again, but I quickly pushed it aside.

"Cloud? Cloud, where are you?!"

I'd been watching him play hide and seek with the other kids from the water tower, which was how I'd noticed him running _out of town_. After almost falling down the ladder in my haste to get down, I'd gone home, told Skye, and ran out before she could stop me from looking for him. I know I was just a kid in their eyes, and after spending so long in a weird world in a little body, I kind of felt like it, but Cloud was family now- my _little_ _brother_. I couldn't stand by and do nothing.

This did not bode well for my stay away from the psychotic people plan.

"Cloud! Come on, this isn't funny!"

To my growing horror, what do I come across but the infamous ShinRa manor. I'd hardly given thought to the place since my arrival, and I figured I had good reason. It was _creepy_, full of monsters, and the less anyone had to do with it, the better.

...and Cloud was going _in_.

I swear my heart just about stopped, but it quickly started up again at double speed. Knowing what I had to do, but scared out of my wits because of it, I followed. If anything happened to him, it would be my fault, and I couldn't live with myself if he got hurt. I just hoped what little training I had would be enough to keep him safe.

As I found out, it was nowhere _near_ enough to do any good.

Some weird, propeller like flower monsters- _dorky faces_, and idle part of my mind supplied -had blocked off the entrance when I stepped in, and they were about to surround Cloud, so I rushed forward, knocked one out of the way (which is when I found out I didn't hurt them _at all_), grabbed his hand, and took off. Now we were running for our _lives_, I had no idea what to do, and Cloud was bawling. I didn't blame him, I felt like crying myself.

This was much worse than any horror movie.

Everywhere we went, there were monsters, making the next ten minutes nothing but a blur. All I could remember was the sheer _terror_ I felt and the pounding of my feet and heart as we ran. I was no match for them, Cloud was no match for them, and I had no clue if or when help was going to arrive.

I honestly thought we were going to die.

Then, through a sheer stroke of luck (or was it Minerva?), one of the monsters crashed into the wall of the room we were in, revealing a hidden passage. My frantic mind immediately remembered just _who_ was residing in the manor, and, in a desperate gamble, I made my way down.

_'I know we need a key, but _please_ let Vincent be able to open the coffin from the inside...'_

It was our last chance. If it didn't work...

It seemed Minerva really _was_ looking out for us, though. While more monsters popped up, we were able to avoid them long enough for us to find the room full of coffins. Ignoring just how creepy the sight was, I pushed Cloud in and shut the door behind us. It wouldn't hold for long, so I had to figure out where Vincent was and _fast_.

Of course, it would help if Cloud hadn't thought we were safe and started clinging to me.

"Cloud, let go! We need to find-"

A large boom echoed through the room, making me jump and Cloud scream. Both of us looked over at the door just in time to see something ram into it from the other side. By the third one, Cloud had added constant screams to his crying, tightening his hold so much that I knew I wouldn't be able to find Vincent in time. So, I just held him close, watching the door bend and groan with each hit until it finally broke open. I couldn't quite stop my own scream when I saw those monsters heading toward us, but I made sure to turn around so Cloud was behind me. I didn't want the last thing he saw to be those things.

I froze when I heard the monsters screech in pain.

Hardly daring to believe it, I slowly opened my eyes and peeked to the side.

An open coffin...

I started crying when Vincent kneeled down beside us and asked if we were okay.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~6 years after arrival**

I don't really know why, but Vincent didn't go back to sleep.

Instead, after taking us to safety, he just...kind of hung around the manor. Once I found that out, I really wanted to thank him for saving us- more than just the verbal thanks I'd given him. So, one day, I packed some of Ma's cooking and went to visit him. I was sure I'd be safe this time, since I'd noticed the monster population go down a bit and knew he was behind it, but I still made sure to grab the materia bangle Cole had given me and one of my first successful potions.

After that experience, I had put a lot more study into _using_ materia, as opposed to just reading about them.

Anyway, that started up the _weirdest_ friendship I'd ever had. At least, I _think_ it's a friendship...It's kind of hard to tell with Vincent. I brought him food, he would try to convince me to leave him alone before giving up and letting me hang out a bit, then he'd take me home. I felt a little bad for bothering him after he saved us, but I also kind of didn't want to leave him alone. Now that he was awake, he was probably wallowing in guilt or something, like he did in the games. If I was going to give Cloud a little happiness before he left, then I didn't see the harm in trying to do the same for Vincent.

...Plus, there was still a bit of a fan girl in me when it came to him. He was just _too cool_.

Anyway, it eventually got to the point that he stopped trying to convince me. Although, there was that one time I asked how in the world he managed to not eat, drink, or use the restroom while he was sleeping in the coffin. He took me home _immediately_...What? It was an honest question! It's always assumed it's because of the experiments, but I wanted to know for sure!

Needless to say, I learned to not ask those kinds of questions, since they were a sure way to cut my visits short. Instead, I just quietly wandered around, exploring the manor and cleaning it up a bit as a favor to him. It wasn't nice living in a dirty house, after all. I will admit that I got a bit curious when I got to the study, though. The contents of those books had made Sephiroth go insane...just what was written in them? What sorts of things had Hojo spewed out to make a man that _hated_ him believe his words? I wasn't sure I wanted to know, so I left them alone.

I don't think Vincent would have let me read them anyway.

So now, here I was, one year after meeting him, reading one of my own books on a couch in the manor. I didn't have much else to do, really. Today was my day off from helping out in Cole's shop (which was doing surprisingly well, all things considered- I blamed the war), Cloud was in school, and Da had taken Ma on a day trip to Cosmo Canyon (I was still waiting for them to stop denying their growing interest in one another). All in all, a pretty normal day in Nibelheim.

"What are you reading?"

Cue the record scratch.

I looked up at Vincent in surprise. He wasn't one to start conversation. In fact, he wasn't for conversation at all. He usually just made the occasional sound of agreement or disagreement to the things I said to him. "H-Huh?"

I couldn't tell if he was smirking in amusement under that cape of his, but something was definitely different. It was kind of scary after hanging around stoic, silent Vincent for a year. "Your book. What is it?"

"O-Oh...It's a book on the effects of natural and reactor mako on the environment. Da got it for me on his last trip to Cosmo Canyon."

"...Aren't you a little young for that?"

I couldn't help but snort a bit. "I finished the required schooling for Nibelheim three years ago, and I'm _almost_ done with the Junon standards. The only thing I would have left, if I decided to continue an education, would be if I went to the university over there and picked a major. But, seeing as Junon University focuses mostly on preparing people to work for ShinRa, I'd rather leave it as is."

I gave myself an awesomeness point for making Vincent's brows raise in surprise, but at my mention of ShinRa, he was back to his strangely talkative self. "You don't like ShinRa?"

I hesitated. It wouldn't be strange to give him a few of my thoughts on the company, right? If he was talking, it was good to encourage it. That way, he wouldn't be such a prick when Cloud asked for his help...Still, I had kept most thoughts about ShinRa locked up tight in my mind. It was going to be uncomfortable talking about them now, especially to a man that had no idea how much I knew.

Well, honesty was the best policy, right? Everything fell apart in the game because of half truths and lies, so I should avoid that.

"ShinRa...scares me. What kind of company sends out teen soldiers to war? Or has them join the Turks- whose reputation is so bad that it even reaches other continents? It all seems a bit..." I sighed. "I dunno, _strange_, I guess. And, after reading some of this book on what mako does, it's creepy to think that they _inject_ it into people. I just have a bad feeling about that place, you know?"

Vincent was quiet for a long time after that. Finally, he sighed quietly. "Yes...I know." To my growing shock, he placed his non clawed hand on my head for a moment before walking off. "You are a smart girl, Castalia...More so than a lot of people."

I gaped. Did he just-...?

I barely held back the urge to pump my arm in victory. Oh, _hell_ yeah! I just got a compliment from _Vincent Valentine_! My life was now complete.

Wait, no it wasn't. I still needed one more thing.

"Hey, Vincent...?"

He turned to look at me, and I couldn't help but smile sheepishly at what I was about to ask. "Do you think you could teach me how to do that super silent walk you always do?"

_I will be the greatest ninja potions master of all time._

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~7 years after arrival**

I really wanted to learn how to do Young Justice Robin's cackle laugh.

After lots of practice, I'd finally gotten the ninja walk down. Of course, it was technically more accurate to call it a Turk walk, considering who taught me, but those were unimportant details. What _is_ important is that, after the walk, Vincent went ahead and taught me the rest of the famous bat moves.

It's funny because people call him a vampire.

Now, I was creeping around the mansion with a _really_ strong urge to laugh. I could tell Vincent could tell too, since he was shaking his head in that way that told me he was kind of amused but not really. Yea, he doesn't make sense sometimes.

Sorry, I'm just really happy right now...and I'm Batman.

"You're going to fall."

I sighed, coming down from my giddiness because I knew he was right. I really didn't want to push my luck on these old rafters by breaking out into giggles. Funny though the image was, it would end right quick if I fell. So, I focused on other things, like how human limitations didn't seem to exist here.

I never would have been able to pull this off on Earth.

I could jump from the ground to the ceiling easily now, and still manage to land so silently that it was mind boggling. I could keep my feet from making noise when I ran. I could blend into the shadows. I think at this point, I was good enough that only people who were really aware of their surroundings, like Vincent, would be able to spot me. It was an amazing feeling- mostly since I hadn't thought I'd be able to do it.

A year of one on one teaching with one of the best Turks ever helped a lot.

Content to push that thought to the side for now, I dropped back down to the floor and looked up at Vincent with a smile. He'd loosened up a bit around me now, which made me really happy. I'd kind of missed having older people to talk to, and Vincent hadn't treated me like a kid (at least in conversation) since he found out how far I was in my education. I was grateful for it. It was refreshing.

"Can I wear your coat next time?"

Hey, I didn't say I was an adult _all_ the time.

"Go home, Castalia."

Damn. Oh well, it had been wishful thinking the first time I'd dared to ask, and by now, it was just routine. If he ever _did_ agree to it, I was pretty sure I'd die of shock.

"Okay. See you tomorrow, Vincent."

This was something else I was proud of. I'd gotten good enough with my fire materia that Vincent let me make my own way home. He still took care of the dorky faces (offensive magic didn't really work on them) and the other monsters that occasionally popped up in the manor, but everything outside was fine. I still wasn't a fighter, but at least now I could take care of myself a little better. I didn't want to be as scared as I'd been in the incident ever again.

Cloud had other plans.

He'd stayed away from the manor after Vincent saved us, but after that paralyzing fear had finally gone completely, he was out playing again. Today, his spot of choice was the water tower.

"Cass, look how high I am!"

I bit my lip as he ran around the small walkway. "Cloud, stop that!"

"_You_ come up here all the time!"

"But _I_ don't run when I'm there! Seriously, you're going to fall!"

The irony of my earlier conversation with Vincent was not lost on me. _Thanks_, Karma.

"No, I'm not!"

Childish arrogance...how I hated it.

"What happened to the cute little chocobo head that used to follow me around?" I groaned.

Maybe, I was being paranoid. Lots of kids played in high places and never got hurt. Plus, we were mountain kids. We were used to that sort of thing...right?

Then why did I have the feeling something bad was about to happen?

When I heard the crack, I cursed myself for jinxing it. I looked up, and for a split second, everything was in slow motion. The board breaking under Cloud's feet, the way his face went from happy to shocked, the moment where he was weightless in the air...

_**THUD**_

It was the worst sound I'd ever heard.

"_CLOUD_!"

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~Chapter End**

There ends the summary of the years. I hope it wasn't too rushed.

So, I figured I'd clarify a few things as far as ages go. Castalia is five at the beginning of the chapter, and twelve at the end. Little Cloud is one at the beginning, and eight at the end. Four years apart.

As for the others...

The three Firsts are five years older than Cass, making them ten to seventeen, respectively, as the chapter goes on. Zack is two years _younger_ than her, putting him at three to ten. Tseng, if I decide to bring him in, is the same age as the Firsts. Rude is a year younger than Tseng, and Reno/Elena are the same age as Cass.

That aside, the whole thing with Skye and Matt was completely unintentional. It just happened. I suppose it's possible, considering they'd been living in the same place for seven years, and they both supported each other, but still...Sorry, Cloud.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. I don't know when I'll get the next chapter up, but I'll try not to take too long. See you!


	3. Chapter 3

Here's chapter three! I'm getting these out pretty fast, but that's because the inspiration for it is still strong and I have the time. Once both of those are gone, I don't know how long it will be between each one. So, I'm trying to get as many out as I can. Please read on and enjoy.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Chapter 3

_"Who are you?"_

_"My name is Minerva. You know me best as the Lifestream, or the Planet."_

_"The Planet? What about Aerith?"_

_Minerva smiled, and he felt warmth flood through him. It was an amazing feeling. "In the past, I have asked her to speak on my behalf in order to give you a familiar face. This time, I wish to speak to you myself."_

_"About what?"_

_"First, dear child, I wish to thank you. If not for you, I would have fallen to the Calamity long ago."_

He could hear voices, but they were muddled.

_His eyes widened for a moment before he looked away. "I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without help."_

_"The fact that you so readily admit that only further proves your character."_

_"...You said 'first,' Ma'am?"_

_She laughed softly. "So polite...Yes, there is something else I wished to discuss with you."_

_"What is it?"_

He felt something soft beneath him...A bed? And what was that smell?

_"If given the opportunity, would you go back?"_

_"Go...back?"_

_"To the time before these events began."_

_"...Do you want me to go back?"_

_He felt that warmth again when she shook her head and cupped his cheeks with a smile. "I only wish for you to be happy. You, who have suffered so much on my behalf, I ask only because I want to give you a chance at a better life."_

It was so familiar...like he'd come across it before.

_"You're serious?"_

_"But of course."_

_"...What would that mean for me?"_

_"I would send you back to a time in your youth. From there, your choices are your own. Be warned, however, that, while those you love will have their lives restored, so will those whom you have fought against."_

_"You said you wanted me to have a chance of a better life...Does that mean you would help me?"_

_"As much as I am able."_

It was a nice smell. It reminded him of cold nights and warm arms.

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Do you think I would not have removed the Calamity myself had I the ability to do so? I am strong, yes, but I have limited influence on those in the mortal plane once they are born."_

_"Then...how is it that you can send me back?"_

_"You are in the Lifestream now, are you not?"_

_"Oh...right."_

_"Do not feel forced to go. Gaia is at peace, and if you wish to remain, then you are more than welcome."_

It reminded him of home.

_"I-...I'd like to try it."_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"No. But...if there's even a little chance at making things better for everyone...I'd like to try. I want to help them."_

_Minerva beamed. "Lovely child, your heart rings true. Such selflessness." She kneeled down and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Sleep now, Cloud. When you wake, you will find yourself in your new life."_

_He felt his eyelids grow heavy. "T-...Thank you."_

_"Just do your best. I have already made some changes that I think will help...Good luck."_

Cloud groaned, awareness slowly making him aware of the fact that he was in pain.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

My breath hitched as I tried to control my tears.

Cloud had been out of it for a day now, and all I've been able to think about is how it was all my fault. This wasn't supposed to happen, at least, I was mostly sure that it wasn't. The only sort of fall that I could remember him going through was when he and Tifa were on the bridge, and that hadn't happened yet, seeing as Mrs. Lockheart was still alive.

"Come on, Cloud. Wake up..."

It was one thing when he had been nothing but a little sprite in a virtual world, but I'd seen Cloud _grow_. I'd talked with him and played with him. I'd helped him with his homework and brought him treats from the store. I knew he liked looking at the pictures of planes, and that he always tried to sneak his vegetables under the table for Lilo to eat. He didn't like the color maroon. He had a weird fascination with wolves even at this age. He liked _singing_, even if it was just a silly song.

I choked back another sob.

He was _real _to me now. He wasn't just some character anymore. He was one of the few people I had in this life.

"Oh, how in the world am I supposed to let you go to ShinRa _now_?" I moaned quietly with my head in my hands. "They'll tear you apart and I don't _want_ that."

I felt bad for Angeal, Genesis, and even Sephiroth. Zack had been one of my favorite characters. The Turks were the bad guys who were actually good. AVALANCHE and all those other people were good too...but that was what I had felt _before_ I arrived on Gaia. Those feelings, while still there, had gotten overshadowed by my closeness to Cloud. I didn't care so much about them anymore. I wanted to keep Cloud safe even if it meant that the others wouldn't have their hero. It was horrible thing to admit, but it was true. Was I a bad person because of that? Was I selfish because I was willing to let _hundreds_ of people suffer just to keep _one_ person out of danger?

"What a mess," I whispered with a sad laugh. "The easy choice or the right one...it's not as black and white as people think it is, huh?"

I wonder if Zack ever had these kinds of thoughts while on the run from ShinRa...

A groan snapped me out of my thoughts, and I felt my heart leap up to my throat when Cloud began to stir. When those too blue eyes fluttered open, I had practically tackled him in a hug before I even realized what I was doing.

"Y-You're awake! Oh, you're _awake_!" Now I was crying, but screw that, I was so _happy_. "Do you know how _worried_ I've been?! How worried _Ma and Da_ have been?! You're never going anywhere _near_ the water tower _ever_ again, do you hear me?!"

When he didn't respond, it was then that I noticed how tense he'd gotten. A bit of dread starting sinking into my gut when I realized he might not be as okay as I'd thought. Pulling away anxiously, the dread turned to confusion and fear when I noticed him staring at me with a frown. Cloud _didn't_ frown. It was _wrong_.

"C-Cloud?"

"Who are you?"

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

The girl stumbled back with wide eyes, looking for all the world like she'd just been punched in the stomach. To her credit, she recovered a moment later and gave him a shaky smile.

"Come on, chicky, it's _me_. Castalia...You _know_ me..."

His frown deepened slightly at the name. "Don't call me that."

Something deep inside him cried a bit at the way the girl's eyes seemed to break, and his confusion at that only got worse at the feeling that he'd just made a _terrible_ mistake. It didn't help that she seemed to be on the brink of tears. He might not know her, but Cloud never liked seeing anyone cry.

"Hey-"

She jerked back from his outstretched arm, shook her head and ran out the door. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose when she was gone. What the hell was going _on_?

"Cloud?"

Thoughts of the girl were pushed aside as he froze at the voice. It was a voice that had almost disappeared from his mind, replaced by Jenova's cruel hisses. A voice that brought tears of his own to his eyes.

"...Ma?"

When he saw her step through the door, there was a moment where he couldn't breathe. He had spent countless nights trying to remember anything he could about her- her face, her laugh, her smile...Looking at her now, there was no way he could deny who she was. Their resemblance was too strong.

"Oh, Cloud," she sighed, rushing over and bringing him into her arms. "I was so worried."

His throat felt tight as he hugged her back. "_Ma_."

It was like a dream. He was with his _mother_ again. He was _holding_ her and _talking_ to her. She was _alive_.

_'I'm sorry...I'm so sorry I couldn't save you, Ma.'_

"There, there, my little Cloud," she soothed while running a gentle hand through his hair and wiping away the tears he hadn't realized were falling. "It's okay. You're going to be just fine."

Being in her arms again...the feeling it gave him...he couldn't help but believe her.

"Cloud?"

He froze at the new voice- the new _male_ voice. Looking out from his mother's embrace, he saw a man standing there with a concerned expression. Immediately, he frowned again. Here was someone _else_ he didn't know. Light brown hair, green eyes, an average build, and slightly tanned skin...He tried searching his memory for any _hint_ of him but still came up with nothing. Just like what happened with the girl.

The man was now frowning a bit himself. "You okay, sport?"

What _was_ it with the nicknames? He'd had enough of that in the future. "Don't call me that."

The man stared at him a moment before something seemed to click. His eyes widened and he stepped closer, flinching a bit when Cloud tensed up and glared.

"Cloud!"

He jerked and looked up at his mother in shock. Why was she scolding him? This man wasn't supposed to be here, and he was pretty sure he _hadn't_ been there in the past...So, why was his mother acting like this wasn't strange at all?

The man just sighed. "It's fine, Skye. I-...I don't think he remembers me, that's all."

Skye...That's right, his mother's name was Skye.

She looked at him in surprise, her own eyes now just as wide as her hold tightened. "But-...But he remembers _me_," she protested. "Surely he remembers you too."

So his mother _knew_ this man...and from the sounds of it, he was supposed to know him too. Before he could think much on the strange situation he now found himself in, the man shook his head with a sad smile and turned to him.

"Do you know who I am?"

Cloud didn't hesitate. "No."

His mother gasped, one of her hands shooting up to cover her mouth as her eyes teared up. The man just nodded, a grim, disappointed look flashing in his eyes for a moment before sadness took place again. Once again, Cloud felt like he'd messed something up.

"At least now I know what got Cassie all worked up," he sighed.

"You're not-! He didn't-!" His mother looked down at him. "You didn't forget her too, did you?!"

How could he forget someone he never knew to begin with? It seemed his silence was all the answer they needed, however.

"Matt-"

"She'll come home eventually," he interrupted gently. "You know she will. Bringing her back right now won't help."

"But-"

"If she's not back by nine, I'll go look for her. Promise. In the meantime, why don't you fill Cloud in? I'm sure he must be confused, and me being here probably isn't making it easier."

Confused was an understatement, Cloud thought, but the man- Matt -was right in saying he'd be more comfortable being alone with his mother.

"...Will you be all right?"

"I'll be fine."

His voice said the opposite. His mother hesitated, probably hearing it too, but eventually nodded. "We'll be down when I'm done explaining."

The sad smile was back now. "Take your time."

He didn't slam the door behind him, but it seemed to echo loudly in the silent room just the same.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Vincent was worried.

He would admit it to no one but himself, but he had grown fond of the young girl that visited almost every day. At first, he had remained awake in order to make sure that neither she nor her brother ventured back into the manor again, but it was during that time that the girl came back with food and another thanks for saving their lives. He accepted it well enough- it had been a while since he'd had any sort of food and it was quite good -but he had thought it was a one-time thing. When she came back the next day, and the day after that, he'd been, admittedly, frustrated.

So long as she continued to return, he could not return to his self-imposed punishment. Not if he wanted her to remain out of danger. So, he had tried to convince her to leave him alone. When that hadn't worked, he had let her be, keeping an eye on her as she explored, but never giving more than a few noncommittal sounds when she spoke to him, all the while thinking she would lose interest eventually.

One year later, as he watched her read on a vastly cleaner couch in one of the manor's sitting rooms, he realized that she _wasn't going to leave._

He hadn't really known what to think then. Had he come to the realization when she first started visiting, he would have been angry. However, a year could do a lot to a person's opinions without them noticing, even his. Instead of anger, he found that he was _curious_. Why did she continue to return? It couldn't have been because of _him_. He'd made an effort to keep her at a distance. Yet...she always looked for him the moment she arrived...Maybe, it really _was_ because she wanted to keep him company.

A part of him had softened at that.

It had been a long time since anyone had treated him with genuine kindness. The last had been Lucrecia, and even then, there had always been that barrier created by their own hesitation to act on their feelings- a barrier that only grew after their argument and her marriage to Hojo. Here, there was no barrier. Here, there was just a girl that brought him food, who understood that she had no business prying into things in the manor (the books in the study being a prime example; he had noticed her curiosity around them) but still took him into consideration by cleaning it up, and who would start talking to him if the silence dragged on for too long, but never to the point where it grew annoying. It was...nice.

So, he decided to talk to her.

He couldn't deny that he'd been amused at her shock, but he also couldn't deny that he'd been surprised at her intelligence. That she was already at the level of most adults was impressive, and it definitely explained some of the books he'd seen her read. She was also surprisingly insightful. She could tell that there was something wrong with ShinRa, even if she wasn't sure what it was, just by putting together a few facts that most people overlooked. She was still a child, however, as evidenced by her request for him to teach her his "super silent walk thing."

He smiled a bit at the memory, but it quickly faded as his concern returned.

After spending another year with her, he knew Castalia was not the type to not show up without reason. Any other time that something came up, she always let him know beforehand. Now, it was long past her usual arrival time and there was still no word from her. He couldn't help feeling that something was _wrong_.

Just as he was contemplating going out to check up on her, the door burst open, and two small arms immediately latched around him. After a moment of initial shock, he realized that it was _Castalia_ who had rushed in, and that she was _crying_.

A deep frown settled onto his face. "What happened?"

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

It took a few moments for Vincent's question to register in my mind, but when it did, everything came crashing down on me again.

He didn't remember.

If I thought the feeling of Cloud being injured was bad, then this felt a hundred times _worse_. All of those movies and shows that had someone with amnesia...it had seemed like something distant. Something that wouldn't happen to me. Living through it now, I realized that they could never truly demonstrate the type of pain it brought. How it felt to have someone you loved look at you like you were _nothing_ to them...To know that everything you went through- the happy times, the sad and angry ones, _everything_ -was _gone_. They were a blank slate, while the ones left behind had to deal with the loss- had to live with seeing the face of someone they cared for, knowing it wasn't _them_ anymore...

"Castalia?"

"H-He-...Cloud had an ac-accident," I managed to choke out. "When he woke-...W-When he woke up..." I clenched my eyes shut and couldn't stop the sob that escaped me. "He didn't know who I _was_!"

Was this because he'd been too different from the Cloud he was supposed to be? Was Minerva resetting his personality so that there was no chance he _wouldn't_ join SOLDIER...? No. I refused to believe that. Why would she send me here...let me get close to these people...

...if she was just going to take it all away?

"Why...? Why did this happen...?"

Vincent didn't answer. Honestly, I don't know if I would have preferred it if he did.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Cloud sighed as he watched his mother leave the room, wondering just what Minerva was thinking. The Goddess had told him she made some changes, but _this_?

How was he supposed to deal with having a _family_?

He might have been able to deal with it if it had just been his mother. He knew, more or less, how to act around her. In this new life, however, he had apparently grown up with a man he considered a _father_, and a girl who was his _sister_.

Guilt flooded through him as he remembered their reactions to his "amnesia."

He had hurt them.

He sighed again and buried his head in his hands as the realization hit him. He hadn't even been in his new life for a day, and already he was the cause of pain for two innocent people. Why hadn't Minerva _told_ him what was waiting for him when he woke up? At least then, he would have been a little more prepared!

_Prepared to act?_

He paused as this second thought hit him. Had Minerva told him he had more than just his mother this time, what would he have done? Would he have pretended to know them, even if he didn't, just to spare their feelings?...It sure sounded like something he would do. After all, he thought almost bitterly, he had pretended to be his best friend.

In the end, hadn't that hurt the people close to him too?

Tifa had always known, but she had gone along with it to protect him. Later, though, she had confessed how much it had hurt to see him, but not really know him anymore. To have him remember almost nothing but the fact that they had been friends once. If their positions had been reversed, he didn't think he could handle it nearly as well. So, how must these people feel now that he couldn't even remember he knew them?

He shifted, starting a bit in surprise when he felt something bump against his side. Looking down, he noticed a plush little chocobo toy with blue button eyes. He picked it up, absently running his hand across the soft material with a small smile. Marlene would have liked something like this.

_"I know you wanted the model plane, but the store in Rocket Town was all out. So, I got you this cute little chocobo instead. Isn't it adorable? It looks just like you, chicky."_

His breath hitched as the voice whispered across his mind. Chicky...Isn't that what the girl- Castalia, he reminded himself -called him? So, she had given this to him...but how had he _known_ that? Had Minerva fused him with his past self somehow? Was it possible that those memories were inside of him now, waiting to be remembered? He gently placed the toy to the side and clenched his fists in determination. He was going to do his best to find out.

There must have been a reason for Minerva to do this, after all...right?

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

I don't know how long I spent crying, but when I finally came back to my senses, I was surprised to find myself on Vincent's _lap_, clinging tightly to his cape. At some point, he had picked me up and carried me to a couch, offering me nothing but silent comfort as I cried myself out.

If I wasn't feeling so _awful_, I might have smiled.

As it was, however, my throat hurt, I could feel how puffy my eyes were, and I was all shaky and weak. Doing my best to push this to the side, I rubbed the tears off of my face and looked up at Vincent.

"Sorry...for crying on you..."

He just sighed softly and stood. "I will take you home. It's getting late and your parents will worry."

I stared up at him in shock, but adjusted my hold nonetheless. I had to keep myself from crying again in sheer gratitude. Vincent didn't have to be so nice to me, and really, I didn't think I'd done anything to deserve it. Yet, here he was, taking me home after I'd done nothing but blubber on him for _hours_.

I smiled as I realized I was so _lucky_ to have a friend like him.

"Thank you..."

He didn't respond, but I think I felt his arms squeeze back a bit.

All too soon, we were standing outside the front door. Vincent set me down, but made no move to leave as I stared at it blankly. Instead, he placed his hand on my head- a gesture he had only done once before. There were no words of reassurance. No promises that it was going to be fine. Maybe that's why I had gone to him...because I knew that there might be a chance Cloud _never_ remembered, and I knew Vincent wouldn't offer that sort of false comfort.

"...I'll see you tomorrow."

His brand of comfort was completely different, but no less effective. It was his kind of comfort that I needed right now, I think.

"Okay...Night, Vin."

"Goodnight...Tali."

I blinked, but he was gone by the time I turned around.

Tali, huh? I could get used to that. For now, though, I took a deep breath and went inside.

Regardless of how things changed, Cloud was my brother, and I was going to be there for him.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~Chapter End**

If I had continued, I wouldn't have had a good stopping point for a while.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Reviews, questions, and the like are welcome so long as they are given in a polite, respectful manner. I don't really have much else to say besides that, so...until next time!

Oh, my dog's name actually is Lilo, but it's after the character in Lilo and Stitch, not the person.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm not too sure how I feel about this chapter. It's kinda...meh. That might just be me, though...

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Chapter 4

Cloud was frustrated.

It had been a month since he woke up in his new life, but it felt like everything was conspiring against him. The morning following his arrival, Castalia had come to call on him for breakfast. He'd done his best to ignore the obvious signs that she had been crying and nodded, although he still felt guilty for being the one to cause her sadness.

That thought had been quickly pushed aside when he overshot his stride and fell flat on his face.

Dozens of possible explanations ran through his mind as he lay on the floor, but the best one was probably that he was still used to a bigger body. He would have to be careful about that or his new family might think that he had something more serious than amnesia- the strange expression on Castalia's face right before she helped him up had only further cemented his resolve. Fortunately, military training helped in regulating his walk, so, while still awkward, there were no more incidents. _Unfortunately_, there were still a multitude of obstacles that kept him from beginning his quest to make things better.

The first was school. He had completely forgotten about it, and if he had to be honest, he didn't care. Dedicating a large part of your life toward fighting an insane, alien possessed man could do that, he supposed. Education seemed like such a trivial thing in comparison. He could read, he could write, and he had no issues with numbers- he was set.

Ma and Matt, however, thought otherwise.

He loved his mother, and Matt seemed like a good man, but there was a limit to how many lectures on the importance of education he could take. It didn't help that Castalia turned out to be some sort of prodigy and had already finished her education. It only made the two adults even more adamant that he pay attention. As for the girl in question, she'd been strangely understanding to his plight. She always got a sort of amused, strangely nostalgic expression when she came across one of those lectures, but never got involved. The one time that Ma had asked her to, she had refused, saying it was his choice and trying to pressure him would only make it worse.

He would have thought she would be on their side, but that was something to think about at a later date.

Another thing that bothered him over the last month besides school was that he had less freedom. He could understand, seeing that he had been protective of both Denzel and Marlene, but it was frustrating having that sort of attention placed on you when, at least in mind, you were an independent adult. Suddenly, Denzel's more rebellious behavior in later years made a lot more sense, and he felt a pang of empathy.

The last, while not necessarily a bad thing, brought its own set of obstacles. The villagers were a lot nicer to him this time around. Cloud thought it might have something to do with Castalia, who had inadvertently caused an increase in Nibelheim's income by working in Cole's shop. After Tifa (she was so young now!), she was the town darling. Cloud _always_ heard how polite, intelligent, and nice she was. He didn't know how much of that was the gil talking, but it had definitely brought the Strife/Allen household (he learned of Matt's origins when the mayor had addressed the man by his last name) up in positive regard.

His new sister didn't seem to care much for it, though.

It was something he had noticed over the last few weeks. After her shift at the store, or on her days off, she usually took off somewhere. It was amazing that no one had noticed. He wanted nothing more than to follow her and find out (it was both a combination of curiosity and concern), but between school and the new attention of the town, he was finding it more than a little difficult to get away.

Once again, he questioned just what Minerva was thinking. How was he supposed to change anything like this?

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

"You have been coming here a lot more."

Vincent watched as already tense shoulders stiffened even more at the statement. Castalia kept her eyes on the book in her hands for a few moments more before sighing and placing it to the side.

"It's been a rough month."

"How so?"

"The townsfolk have been a lot...nicer to me lately."

Vincent merely raised a brow, knowing she would understand his question. Sure enough, she continued.

"I wouldn't have a problem with it, normally. I mean, they were nice to me before, but now it feels like-...like it's not genuine anymore, you know? It's like they're _expecting_ something by treating me kindly. I don't like it."

He sat down beside her as he thought it over. "It is possible they are reacting to the increase in money Nibelheim has seen through Cole's shop. It would not have opened had you not agreed to learn item creation."

She grimaced. "That makes it even _worse_. I didn't do those things just so they would like me. I did it because it was interesting. Now, they're all trying to invite me over for tea, or trying to grab my attention over something or other. Mrs. Graham has been the most persistent."

"Isn't she the woman whose son you punched for making fun of Cloud?"

"Yeah. I have no _idea_ what's gotten into her. I thought she hated me for that."

He almost chuckled as yet another suspicion came to him. "Hmm...How old are you now, Castalia?"

"Almost thirteen, you know th- What are you thinking, Vincent?"

"It is merely a guess, but another reason they could be treating you kindly is because you are nearing the age for courtship."

"Huh?..._Oh_..." Her face paled more and more with each second that went by. "They're trying to-...?! And want me to-...?! Oh, _hell_ no!"

"You _would_ be an asset to any family you marry into."

She covered her ears with a squeal and shook her head rapidly. "No, no, no! I don't wanna hear it! It's so _wrong_!"

"Why? You do not wish to marry?"

"You're having fun with this, aren't you?" she asked with a flat look.

"Perhaps. Although, I am a bit curious about your adamant denial."

"First of all, I don't like any of them. They're all younger than me and have the maturity to match. Second, marriage should _never_ be about _assets_. That's like me wanting to marry Rufus Shinra because he's the son of a wealthy man with lots of power. It's just not done."

"A strange mindset for someone in a town like this."

"Yeah, well, I'm different."

He allowed himself a small smile. "True enough."

She sighed again and let herself fall supine on the couch. "You know, I'd never even considered that option, but now that you told me, it makes a scary amount of sense. What the heck am I going to do? Ma and Da would never pressure me into marriage, but who knows what the others in town would be willing to do."

"You could always leave."

"That's one option, I suppose. But, as much as I don't want to marry anyone in Nibelheim, I don't really want to leave it either. Besides," she smiled, "I'd be eaten alive. I may be able to hold my own on the way here, but I'm no match for some of the monsters out there."

That was true, he thought with some concern. He had been the one defeating the tougher monsters in and around the manor, but what would happen should either one of them ever decide to leave? What would happen to her then?

"Vincent? You okay?"

"Tali." It was strange how the shortened name was more indicative to serious topics than her full one, given that he now had her full attention. "Would you like to learn how to use a gun?"

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

I stared. Did I hear him right? Was he actually _offering_ to teach me how to use a _gun_?

More importantly, did I _want_ to learn?

While both guns and materia could cause serious damage, my mind was much more hesitant about the gun. That was probably because guns had existed on Earth, and they were used maliciously more than anything. My cousin had _died_ from a gun just so they could rob him of ten dollars. It was so easy to _kill_ with them...I might have been a lot of things, but a murderer was not among them.

_'But, this is Vincent. He would never use a gun for a bad reason.'_

"If you do not wish to learn, that is fine."

"Huh? Oh, no, it's not that- well, not entirely. I just don't know why you would offer."

"You have brought up a good point in regards to your fighting ability. Should you or I ever choose to leave, I wish for you to know how to defend yourself."

So that was it. He was just worried. It made me feel a little better about the prospect, but I still found myself hesitating. Sure, I could tell myself that I would only use it on a monster, but what if I was forced to cross that line one day? What if I was forced to aim that gun at a _person_? Even if that person was foul and cruel...I didn't want to _ever_ be in that situation. If, by some rare chance I _did_ end up shooting a person...what would that do to me? Would my non-murderer mindset change? Would I slowly drive myself crazy through the guilt of taking a life? At the very least, I doubt I would get out of that without _some_ psychological issues.

"You are afraid that you could hurt someone...Or perhaps, you are afraid of how it would change you?"

Damn, he was just too smart for his own good sometimes. Knowing that denying it would do nothing, I nodded.

"It is a valid concern," he told me. "Although the fact that you are thinking of such things proves you are of a better moral character than those that learn thinking merely of how useful it would be. Even those that pick up a weapon with the desire to protect can cross the line if they become enamored with their power. It is a delicate balance."

Normally, I would comment about how talkative he was today, but I knew that it wasn't the time for that. He was trying to help me out here, and I wasn't about to take it lightly. "How do I know I'll never cross that line?"

"You don't. However, you are a good person. I doubt it would ever come to that."

"...Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He sounded so sure of himself, that a part of me couldn't help but believe him. It's not like I wanted a weapon to change me, but I knew that it would- even if it was just a little bit. So, having someone like Vincent trust me and my character enough for this was a relief. It reassured me just enough to accept.

"Okay. But, umm...I don't have a gun...and I doubt Cole would let me buy one."

"Leave that to me."

Well, if I was going to learn, I may as well have a good weapon. Letting one of the best marksmen in Gaian history get it for me would practically guarantee that. Still...I couldn't help feeling that I might not be able to avoid getting mixed up in the events to come after all. Learning about materia and how to shoot a gun? Not exactly signs of a peaceful life.

The worst part of it was that I wasn't sure who was steering me down this path anymore. Minerva, or myself?

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

General Iroh heaved a weary sigh as he watched his soldiers. When ShinRa had first declared war on the land of Wutai, he, like many others, had been proud to fight. It had been for a just cause, after all, and if he did not fight, then who would?

Now, almost three years in, that question had drastically changed in perspective.

He kept these thoughts to himself of course, but sometimes, Iroh couldn't help feeling as if there was something bigger at play here. The official story was that Wutai had assassinated the ambassador sent to negotiate a treaty; one that would allow ShinRa to build a reactor on their lands. However, he had fought these so called heartless people, and they were anything but. He wondered...was it really all as clear cut as it seemed? If they were to stop fighting and call for peace, would the Wutai people really ignore it? He didn't think so, but again, he kept these thoughts to himself.

If he didn't, he would be stripped of his rank faster than he could blink, and then who would look after his men?

Still, Iroh was, if nothing else, and honorable man. Even as he cut down his enemies, he sent a quick prayer to the Goddess for forgiveness, and a silent apology to the families he had affected. It was something that those same enemies had noted, somehow, and had spared him the fate of death that had claimed many of his comrades. Now, he was the last of the high ranking men, left in charge of all of the young idealists who had been swayed by the company's propaganda.

Well, there was one other, but in Iroh's opinion, he was still but a boy.

When he had first heard that there were three fifteen year old SOLDIERs that had joined them, he had been appalled. SOLDIER or not, they were much too young to be fighting. However, as he was only in command of the regular infantry, his protests were ignored. Instead, he could only watch as the commanding officer of the SOLDIER troops sent those children from battle to battle, either never noticing or never caring that their eyes slowly dulled with each experience. He only cared about how easily they won. It was awful to admit, but Iroh hadn't been too upset at his death a year later. However, arrogance turned out to be something of a curse in SOLDIER, it seemed, since the chain of command had slowly dwindled until Iroh had been grudgingly given command of _all_ the troops.

That was when he met Angeal Hewley, Genesis Rhapsodos, and Sephiroth for the first time.

All of them were remarkable in combat, of that there was no doubt, but all he could see were the broken gazes of three boys who were trying to cope with what they had been forced to do in their own ways. Genesis immersed himself in a play given to him by a dying soldier, repeating the lines to himself and others as if they held some deeper meaning. Angeal coped by pretending he was not affected, choosing instead to offer comfort to those around him. Sephiroth...Sephiroth worried him the most. The silver haired teen had been quiet when he first arrived, but now it was a rare thing for anyone to hear him say a word. He built walls to keep both his emotions and others at bay, and when he killed, he did it with a blank face.

It wasn't right.

So, while ShinRa had been putting more and more pressure on him to give Sephiroth more responsibility or send him into more fights, he had been petitioning to have the young man and his friends recalled. Finally, after months of throwing logic at the higher ups (which wasn't as effective as one would think), and with some not so pride worthy arguments along the lines of them burning out their weapons (he _still_ felt ill referring to them as such), they had finally agreed to grant them some leave time.

"General."

He smiled tiredly and turned around. "Is there something you need, Sephiroth?"

Sephiroth stared at him intently for a few minutes before frowning slightly. "You're sending me back."

"Yes."

The frown deepened. "I am a general too, and as such I should be here."

Iroh placed his hands on the young man's shoulders. "I am not doubting your leadership abilities, Sephiroth. You have been nothing if not phenomenal on the battlefield, and I will be the first to admit that your presence has lessened the stress placed upon me."

"Then why-...?"

He laughed softly. "You remind me a lot of my nephew, you know. So serious all the time, and wanting to fight in order to prove himself. But there is more to life than fighting. There are so many beautiful things to see and to experience. I have had my share of them, but you are young. You have yet to realize the wonders of the world."

"I-...I don't understand."

He felt saddened by this for a moment. How was ShinRa any less cruel than those they fought if they stole the childhood of such a bright boy? That sadness quickly strengthened his former resolve, however.

"I want you to _live_, Sephiroth. This war is not life. This war is death and sorrow. Pain and regret. War brings bitterness and anger, and will _always_ leave those caught within hollow and empty. I do not want to see what's left of your spirit be crushed by remaining here."

Sephiroth's eyes were wide with surprise- the first emotion to break through in a long time. It was enough to bring the smile back to his face.

"You and your friends have done enough. Let us older folk shoulder the burden for a while."

"But...what would I do?"

"Spend time with the people close to you, ride a chocobo, anything that you feel like doing. The choice is up to you. That's the best part."

"Up to me?"

"Yes. Might I suggest taking your time on the way back to the company should you choose the chocobo, though?" he asked with a laugh. "They might not approve of such a frivolous activity. I, however, have always had great fun riding them for leisure."

"I'll...keep that in mind."

Iroh nodded, happy that Sephiroth seemed more comfortable with the idea than before. "Now then, why don't you go tell Angeal and Genesis the good news? I'm sure they'll be happy to suggest a few things you can do with your time off. When you're ready to go, Mark will fly you off continent to Rocket Town." When he didn't leave, he grew a little concerned. "Sephiroth?"

Now it was his turn to have his eyes widen when Sephiroth wrapped his arms around him.

"Thank you."

It was soft, and the hug was hesitant, but he could feel the honesty. It made his eyes soften as he returned the embrace. "You have nothing to thank me for. But, if you insist on repaying me, do it by doing something for yourself. Should we meet again, I expect you to be happy."

"We will meet again. You are too strong to not survive."

He laughed. "I'll do my best."

Sephiroth nodded and let go. He was almost out of the tent when he paused. "General...you said I reminded you of your nephew...What is his name?"

"Zian. He's a bit more hot tempered than you, to be honest, but I think you would get along well. I'll introduce you when this is all over."

"I'd like that."

"Take care, Sephiroth."

"You too."

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

As I made my way home that evening, thoughts on learning about guns were pushed aside in favor of making sure I made it without being noticed. Vincent's theory about marriage was troubling, and an issue I honestly hadn't expected. If I wasn't absolutely sure that it would cause more problems than it would solve, I would say I was with him and be done with it- if I achieved the impossible and got him to agree to such a stupid idea, at any rate. Not that I had feelings for him beyond the admiration of his good looks and surprisingly pleasant personality (once you got passed the silent, brooding stage), but he was a better choice than anyone else in town…

'_Okay, I'm going to stop that train of thought before it becomes even more awkward.__'_

Years ago, I wouldn't have been all that opposed to the idea, but Vincent was a friend, and I just found it weird now. In fact, I wasn't sure I _wanted_ to be with anyone. Sure, I wanted a loving relationship just like any other girl, but I was older than everyone my age. It would take one heck of a guy to make me feel like I wasn't committing some form of pedophilia.

Hey, I was older in _mind_, not body. If I were to hook up with someone that was _physically_ my age, it would feel wrong too.

Oh, my head was starting to hurt just _thinking_ about this. I was just going to stay away from romance for as long as I could, and if Mrs. Graham's son tried to pull something once they became more open with their intentions (and they would, too), I was going to punch him in the face again.

Too bad Reeve was out of my age range, I wouldn't have minded _him_.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~Chapter End**

Poor Cloud also suffered the effects of the body shift. Since it only happened once, though, nothing will really come from it.

...What was originally meant to be a short part showing that Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal were going to be leaving the war turned into the above. I hope you don't mind.

Since at the beginning of Crisis Core, the three of them had pretty much been shown to be stationed at ShinRa for a while, I needed to bring them back with enough time for their more relaxed game personalites to be reasonable. I would hardly expect Angeal to take Zack on as an apprentice fresh from the front lines. They need time to unwind and get past the harsher side effects of war.

That aside, I really wanted to name the nephew Zuko. You can tell I was being a little uncreative with those two, but I needed a general, and Iroh popped into my head. Not sure I'll bring them back, though. They were more of a one-time thing for plot purposes...

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Until next time!


	5. Chapter 5

I'm glad you guys liked Iroh. I wasn't sure how he would be received, but it seems I had nothing to worry about. Speaking of Iroh, though, I imagined him riding a chocobo...it was hilarious.

Castalia is still a reflection of what I believe my own reactions would be, but she's starting to become her own character as time goes on. If you were to place both of us side by side, we'd still be pretty similar, but there would be differences now too.

Don't let me keep you. Please read on and hopefully enjoy.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Chapter 5

Cloud was looking at me strangely, but I really didn't care.

"Why can't I open the door again?"

"Because it's Mrs. Graham, and I really don't want to talk to her."

"...Why?"

"You don't want to know," I grimaced. "And even if you did, I don't think I could stomach telling you."

I sent a glare at her from where Cloud and I had been watching from the window. I had been expecting it, but not _on_ my birthday! That woman wasted no time, did she?

"It's kind of rude to just leave her out there, though, isn't it?"

"It's even _more_ rude of her to try and force her son on me," I muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing."

To my continuing bad luck, it seemed Ma had heard the knock. "Who's at the door?"

"No one!/Mrs. Graham!"

"_Cloud_!"

"What? I'm curious."

This new Cloud was a little troll, I thought while directing my glare at him. He'd remembered a few more things that let him be more at ease around me, but our relationship was still different than before. He'd even started _teasing_ me! Cloud _never_ teased me before! Well, not nearly as well as he was now, anyway.

...At least he was still honest. Nosy, but honest.

"Guess you'll find out soon enough," I sighed as I watched Ma open the door, resigning myself to the upcoming conversation.

That's definitely one thing I missed about my old life. I never had to worry about arranged marriages.

"Berlinda, what a surprise. What brings you here?"

"I came by to wish little Castalia a happy birthday!"

Ma looked completely nonplussed, but nodded. "Castalia, Mrs. Graham wants to tell you something."

"I hate you so much right now, Cloud," I hissed before reluctantly making my way over.

I _really_ had to force myself not to make a face at her grin.

"Castalia! How wonderful to see you!"

"Hello, Mrs. Graham. How are you?"

"I'm doing just fine, dearie, thank you for asking. Anyway, I hear today is your birthday! Thirteen is a very important age in Nibelheim for young women, you know."

I know the exact moment Ma realized Mrs. Graham's intentions, since I felt her tense behind me. That made me feel _infinitely_ better. At least I wasn't the only one who found her ploy unwelcome.

"I know...but, with all due respect, Mrs. Graham," even though I really didn't want to give her _any_ respect right now, "I'm not interested in your son. I'm pretty sure he's not interested in me either."

"Don't be silly! Travis adores you-"

"I punched him in the face."

My lips twitched when I heard Ma snort behind me, and I bit back a laugh when Mrs. Graham's grin became notably strained.

"Yes, well, he is a forgiving boy. He's quite fond of your spunk."

My _spunk_? _Seriously_? Of all the words to choose from, she chose _spunk_.

I almost felt sorry for her. I might have been more sympathetic if it wasn't me she was talking to.

"Err...thank you, Mrs. Graham. I'm flattered." _Not._ "But, I'm not interested."

To my surprise, she nodded, but I could only gape when I found out why.

"Oh, I understand. These things take time, of course. I'm sure after you spend some time together, you'll get along wonderfully."

"That's not-"

"I'll be sure to send him by later! You have a nice birthday, dear!"

Ma and I stared as she shuffled off, and I felt my brow twitch when I noticed the other women who were out and about with sons around my age send me appraising looks.

"...Well, fuck."

"Castalia!"

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Cloud frowned as he watched Castalia and his mother come back inside. Since he hadn't sensed anything truly distressing, he had been amused at her not wanting to open the door.

Now, he wasn't really sure what to think.

He hadn't had to deal with this in his last life. He vaguely remembered that the town boys had started hanging around Tifa more a bit before he left Nibelheim, but he hadn't made the connection until now. No wonder they were being so nice and complimenting her all the time- they wanted to be the family that Castalia married into. It would definitely be a benefit to whoever managed it...

He found that he didn't really like that idea.

The longer he spent in her company, the more he enjoyed it. She had a more mature personality than the other village kids; something he was grateful for as he had yet to wake Vincent. It made conversation a lot less boring. Snippets of memory that had returned also showed that she'd been a very devoted sister to his younger self, always looking out for him and showering him with affection. He had to admit that he'd been both stunned and touched at how much she seemed to care for him. So, he found himself slowly trusting her, smiling at her and even daring to tease her sometimes, knowing she would understand he wasn't being serious.

It was..._fun_.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd really had fun- not without worrying about several different things at the same time, anyway. With her, though...with her, he could forget what the future held, even if it was just for a little bit. She was someone new. Someone that didn't remind him of the ways he had failed and the hardships he had faced. She represented the good things that awaited him with this second chance, and he would do his best to protect her. Which meant that she would most definitely _not_ marry _Travis Graham_

...Or Hector Johnson.

...Or Dennis Baker.

...In fact, it was probably best if she stayed away from the Nibel boys altogether.

"CLOUD STRIFE!"

He stiffened and quickly made his escape. Hero of the future or not, he was an adult in a child's body that had _no_ prior training. He was not going to take his chances with a girl who was not only angry with him, but had had training from Zangan as well.

He'd learned his lesson from Tifa.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

_Midgar Plates Near Completion. A Revolutionary Way of Life._

I scowled as I read the headline of the latest newspaper. It was already bad enough that Cole asked me to come in today, therefore giving the village women easier access to me, but now I had to be reminded of the events that were steadily approaching. Zack would be leaving for Midgar in a little under two years, which meant Cloud might leave in a little under five. Where in the world had the time gone?

"I don't see why you bother havin' the paper from _Junon_ delivered all the way out here, Cassie. Kind of pointless if you ask me."

"It's good to know what's going on, Cole," I sighed. This conversation was not a new one.

"And _I_ say it's distracting you from things that are happening _here_. You're at courting age and you're more concerned over some metal plates a continent away than of all the nice young lads who have come by to see you today."

_'Nice by whose standards? The demon from the ninth dimension?'_

Official marriage age in Nibelheim was fourteen, but courting started the year before and was considered just as important. The young girl was expected to choose a boy during this time, and would spend the year with him as much as possible until getting married on their fourteenth birthday. Apparently, having the birthday celebration and the marriage on the same day was considered some sort of good luck.

At best, I would say I was getting less presents.

Cole shook his head and walked away when I didn't reply. I was grateful that he, at least, was considerate enough to not push the subject. I wondered what would happen to our reputation when they eventually got it through their heads that I wasn't going to marry _any_ of the boys. Nothing good, probably, but we'd been through it once, and we could do it again.

_'It's like Harvest Moon in reverse. All the boys are cringe worthy...I wonder if that would make the secret bachelor the nice one instead of the nightmare they usually are in game. Seriously, who would want the _Kappa_?'_

I was jerked out of these thoughts by a sharp sting. Looking down, I noticed with a sigh of annoyance that I'd gotten a paper cut. This was turning out to be one of the worst birthdays _ever_.

...Or maybe not.

_Man Behind the Machine: An interview with Reeve Tuesti, creator of the mako reactor._

"Huh, I didn't know he was the one who came up with them...Damn, he's hot."

The picture was small, and a little grainy, but it still showed that Reeve was a handsome man. How old would he be right now? Oh, wait, there it was in the first sentence.

_Twenty-two_?

He designed these things at _twenty-two_?! Now _this_ guy was a prodigy if there ever was one. I may not have approved of the reactors, but _I_ had been struggling in my math class when I was twenty-two the first time around...I continued to skim through the article, but felt myself grow uneasy as I read on. Reeve really believed he was doing something _good_ here. You could see it in the responses he gave. Did he know about what it did to the Planet yet? He must have _some_ idea, at least...right?

_"My design should increase mako production by fifty percent, while decreasing the amount of damage done to the environment."_

Well, at least he knew about the environmental damage, but still not the damage to the Planet...When had he learned about the Lifestream, dang it?! It was times like these I wished I'd played the game, maybe they said something about that in there.

_"The damage around Midgar will take a long time to reverse, but I hope to prevent that from happening to the areas with older reactor models. That's why I will be joining a team of technicians to these reactors and overseeing their work as they upgrade them. We should be done within the next few years."_

Wait...

"_What_?!"

...This was _not_ good.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

"Vincent!"

The gunman was instantly on alert as he heard the panicked tone in Castalia's voice and the fact that she was there to begin with. He hadn't been expecting her today, as she'd planned to spend the day with her family. When he turned to face her, he grew concerned at her pale face and white knuckled fist that tightly clenched around a newspaper.

"What is it?"

"ShinRa-..." His eyes narrowed at that hated word, and he instantly knew this was serious. "ShinRa's coming to Nibelheim."

_Very_ serious.

"What are we going to _do_, Vin?! They're going to see that the manor is clean and ask around, o-or what if they find out you're not in your coffin, or-"

He gripped her shoulders and shook her once to snap her out of her panic. "Tali." She quieted, and he felt his gaze soften when he saw how truly frightened she was. "How did you find out?"

She handed him the newspaper. "T-The article on page five. Near the end."

Making a mental note to compliment her later for keeping track of current events, he took the paper from her and read the article himself. When he finished he remained silent, thinking over what could be done.

"Vincent?"

"...Hojo will not allow work on the reactor without some sort of precaution."

"Will he come here?"

Vincent felt some guilt enter him at the nervous question. He had told her about the man not too long ago, thinking that she needed to be prepared in case he ever decided to return to Nibelheim. If he had known that ShinRa would be coming so _soon_, he might have reconsidered.

"I wouldn't put it past him, but there is no way to say for sure." He paused as an idea finally came to him. "Castalia, you are interested in Mr. Tuesti."

He blinked when she turned red. It had been meant as an opening to his idea, but the reaction was...interesting. He looked down at the article again, this time paying closer attention to the photograph of ShinRa's new head of Urban Development. Amusement bubbled up within him when he realized that the younger man could be considered attractive by most women's standards. It seemed the appeal reached mature, thirteen year old girls, as well.

"I don't think Mrs. Graham would approve."

"S-Shut up. I have no idea what you're talking about. He's like, ten years older than me." She faltered, as if considering something, then flushed deeper. "You're a jerk, you know that? Now are you going to tell me what you're scheming or not?"

He chuckled, but dropped the subject. "What I meant by my previous statement is that you should send a letter to Mr. Tuesti expressing your interest in his work."

"But I'm _not_ interested."

"He doesn't have to know that."

She crossed her arms. "Careful, your Turk side is showing."

"It is needed. If he is the sort of person his responses imply he is, he will write back. From there, it should be simple enough to keep track of ShinRa's position through frequent communication."

"Until he realizes he's way smarter than me and gets bored. Or even _worse_, decides he wants to recruit me into his department for some unfathomable reason."

"I would not let that happen."

She stared up at him, biting her lip as she thought it over. He didn't stop her. Having to do anything with ShinRa was a risk, even if it was something as simple as exchanging letters with the head a relatively new department. He was asking a lot from her, so the least he could do was let her make the decision on her own.

"ShinRa still scares me, you know."

"...I know."

"But I trust you, Vincent. I know you wouldn't want me doing this unless you were sure...and I know you would never let anything happen to me...I'll do it."

He wasn't surprised at the trust she showed in him, but he still marveled at it just like he did every other time. With a small smile, he placed his hand on her head and gently ruffled her hair- an action he would only permit himself doing to her. "Then we will get started tomorrow. For now, I believe you should head home. Your parents are expecting you."

"I _did_ kind of rush over here right after my shift..."

"No doubt Mr. Tuesti's impending visit distracted you. Were he not with ShinRa, I might have approved the choice."

"_Vincent_!"

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Honestly, I almost huffed while opening my presents that evening, who knew Vincent had it in him to tease someone like that? Was he really that comfortable around me now? He _had_ finally told me about how he came to be at the manor shortly after I agreed to learn gun usage from him, but he had told AVALANCHE too, and he hadn't been that relaxed around _them_.

So, what made it different?

_'Please don't tell me I'm turning into some sort of Mary-Sue. I'd rather suffer a very painful and prolonged death.'_

Then there were my recent thoughts to worry about. The most serious of which was what was going to come from this. I had avoided changing anything mostly because I knew that even without interference, things would turn out okay for the most part. But, in my panic, I had gone to Vincent, and now I was travelling on completely unknown territory. How was I sure that ShinRa's visit didn't happen in the original timeline? If I had left it alone like I had been doing- No, that wouldn't have been okay, either, since Vincent was awake. Last time, he had been sleeping, and last time, there had been no Castalia Allen to screw it up.

Why hadn't I thought of this _before_?

The most I could do now was trust Vincent knew what he was doing and that this all came out okay, which led to my other, less serious but just as alarming thoughts (at least to me).

My crush on Reeve Tuesti.

I thought he was so much older, and while ten years was still a large gap, it wasn't as bad as I'd thought. I normally wouldn't even _think_ about romantically pursuing a man more than five years my senior (and that was pushing it), but it wasn't like my situation was entirely _normal_. I was paradoxically younger yet older than him at the same time (strangely enough, by almost the same amount of years).

Nymphadora Tonks, I both sympathize with and hate you so much right now.

When talking with Vincent, I had remembered that she had been about thirteen years younger than Remus, and I had still found the pairing absolutely adorable. I had also had a friend in my other life whose parents were eleven years apart, so it wasn't like it was _completely_ unheard of...

No, no, this was a dangerous train of thought. I was going to step away from it now, thank you.

Besides, even though he'd seemed like a decent guy in game, this was _reality_ now. Just like with Cloud, there was a lot I didn't know about him. He was a stranger who I had a passing knowledge of...and who I would soon be in constant contact with if Vincent's plan pulled through.

Damn it all to hell, there was just no _winning_ in this situation, was there?

_'I want a redo, Minerva. Let me go back to being five again, please. Preferably in an even more out of the way place this time.'_

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~Chapter End**

I would totally choose Reeve over the three Firsts, that's a fact.

Don't get me wrong, they're cool, but they've got some serious issues. I don't know if I could deal with it. Plus...Genesis and Sephiroth are kinda feminine in appearance. No offense. This doesn't mean that Reeve will be _the one_. Anything can happen.

On a different note, writing this story has made me learn some new things about the FF7 world. I had no idea ShinRa paid a visit to Nibelheim before Cloud left, or that Reeve was behind the design for the mako reactors. It's good for my story _and_ for my brain.

Finally, one reviewer has asked what Castalia looks like. I was planning on integrating descriptions as I went on, but there's no guarantee that I would ever get the chance to do that. So...appearance. Dark brown hair that looks black, hazel eyes, and lightly tanned skin (which is currently not so tan from growing up in a mountain environment). Hope that helps.

That covers this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Until next time!


	6. Chapter 6

Hey, everyone, it's been a while. Sorry it took me so long to get this out, I've been pretty busy lately (still am, actually). So, a couple of things to address from previous chapters:

**One**- A reviewer pointed out that Reeve didn't actually create the original reactors. I am aware of this. I _actually_ meant that he was _improving_ their design enough that it was practically as if he'd made a new one. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

**Two**- I think I stated this in a previous chapter, but just because Castalia likes Reeve, it doesn't mean that he's the one she's going to end up with. If anything, it's more of a reflection on the one _I_ find the most attractive in the series (you have to admit he's a good looking guy- and sane. That's always a plus). I think that in Castalia's circumstance, any romance would depend heavily on the sorts of things she goes through. Basically, what I'm saying is it could be anyone, even generic villager #73.

**Three**- No one has made any mention of this, but I figure I should get it out of the way. Don't expect Castalia to pick up the Buster Sword and start swinging at Sephiroth any time soon (see: never). While this story will focus on Cassie, Cloud is still very much the hero. She's not going to be taking anyone's place and I'm not going to make important canon plot points focus on her. I will edit them a bit to include her, but she won't be in the center of it. Final Fantasy 7 got along fine without her before, and it will continue to do so even after this story ends.

Anyway, that's enough babbling in the author's notes, I'll let you read on. Feel free to ask me about anything that I don't address at the end of the chapter.

**Disclaimer: I don't own FF7, and since I keep borrowing characters, I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender either.**

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Chapter 6

My brain was going to _explode_.

"Almost. You switched the type of poison produced by these two."

I sighed as Vincent pointed to two of the plant names on the paper, and then dutifully made the corrections.

When I sent the first letter to Reeve, I knew that he was smarter than I was, regardless of the extra years. What I failed to realize, however, was just how_ much_ smarter he was. I quickly found myself going to Vincent for help in what to write so that I could at least _appear_ to be of the same intelligence. What ended up happening instead was that Vincent helped me write the letters, but also made sure I learned everything that was relevant to the topics discussed within.

It was definitely a humbling experience.

I never considered myself an intellectual while growing up, but I didn't consider myself stupid either. I caught on quickly and did better than most in school (when I didn't procrastinate, that is), so I guess a small part of me had thought that I would be able to keep up- that I would be able to be on the same level as these _amazing_ people...

It was probably for the best that this happened. I could only shudder to think how I might have become if that thought had been allowed to grow unchecked. Besides, it wasn't all bad. While Vincent was a taskmaster of the sternest sort, he explained things well, and I found- to my pleasant surprise -that I could actually look back on the previous letters and understand them better than before. It was still very much Vincent's words under my name, but I would take what I could get.

"I think that's enough for today."

I smiled sheepishly and nodded. No matter how I tried to hide it, Vincent was always able to tell when I reached my limit. Part of me wondered if all Turks could read people this well or if it was just a level exclusive to Vincent. I hoped it was just Vincent. While it was nice to have a friend that could read me with a glance, it kind of lost that nice sentiment when a group of company killers for hire had the very same skill. I did _not_ want ShinRa even_ suspecting_ that I knew more than I let on, and I didn't trust my luck enough to risk it.

Now wasn't the time to worry about that, though. I would enjoy these peaceful days as they came.

With a smile that was entirely too pleased, I closed the book (courtesy of the mansion library) and moved it out of sight. "Hey, Vin, how is it that you know all this, anyway? I know you have to know a lot to be a Turk, but things like plant species don't really seem like they would be on the syllabus."

Vincent was smiling slightly as he watched me scoot further away from the text (and it was so awesome that I could get him to smile more now), but was prompt in his reply. "Natural sciences were a requirement for Research and Development and, to a small extent, SOLDIER in order to help them in the field. I imagine it has only become more so with the war in Wutai. Still, it would help a Turk more than you would think. I always did very well in missions that had me follow a target outside of Midgar."

"Huh...I can see that, I guess. So, was it just you, or did other Turks learn too?"

"Most didn't bother, at least not until they themselves had a mission that led them into the wilds. I am unsure as to whether the practice has been kept up, however."

"I don't think the sorts of people the Turks are assigned to follow really spend too much time outside of a city or town anymore, so I doubt it."

"They were hardly the sort even while I was still with the company."

I could feel a more personal question forming, but I held it back. Vincent might have been more open with me than I thought I really deserved, and he never hesitated to answer questions about ShinRa, but I knew he was uncomfortable answering questions that were focused more on him and the life he had before. I really wanted to know (games couldn't even _begin_ to cover the sorts of things I'd learned about Gaia and its inhabitants during my time here), but I wouldn't risk the friendship I had for a few obscure details.

"If they all looked like President Shinra, I'm not surprised," I snickered instead.

I knew I'd made the right choice when he placed a hand on my head and gently ruffled my hair (I loved it when he did that. It made me feel special). Unfortunately, the fuzzy moment couldn't last.

"I should probably start heading home, Vincent. Same time tomorrow?"

"Perhaps a little later. I wish to go a little farther away from the mansion this time."

"Okay. I'll be here later, and if you're not home, I'll just read a book or something."

"That's fine."

"Great! See you tomorrow, Vin!"

"Until then."

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

He knew she had questions.

It was impossible not to notice her growing curiosity about his life in ShinRa, or perhaps, just him in general. Regardless of which aspect she wanted to know about, he appreciated the fact that she held back. It had been many years, but the pain was still fresh in his mind. He wasn't ready to face his past just yet.

Still...a part of him couldn't help feel she already knew- or at least suspected.

He figured that finding him in a coffin couldn't have helped very much, but there were times when he would catch her giving him concerned, thoughtful glances while they were both reading in the study. Glances that, to his surprise, had made him feel exposed- like everything he had gone through and what still lurked within was all there for her to see. It was, admittedly, a bit unnerving.

Veld would have snatched her up in an instant.

He frowned at the thought as he trailed along behind Castalia (a practice he had never really fallen out of, even after she had proven capable of taking care of herself). If the standards hadn't changed as far as recruitment went, Castalia was prime Turk material. She was intelligent and insightful, a quick learner, and knew when to be discreet. He probably hadn't helped by teaching her stealth techniques and how to wield a gun, which were both highly valued skills in that particular branch of the company, but what was done was done, and the benefits of her knowing currently outweighed the risks. She was also young- which, to ShinRa, only meant that they had more of a chance to mold her to their liking without her even realizing it.

It was only now, after he had suffered at their hands, that he was able to see how easily they manipulated others.

Castalia had reached the town borders by this point. With a near silent sigh and a shake of her head, she looked up at the trees (almost to where he was, but still off- he would have to work with her on that).

"I know you're there. Maybe not where you are _exactly_, but I know you've been following me to make sure I make it home okay..." She trailed off for a moment, but then smiled gently. "Goodnight. Thank you for looking after me."

_Thank you for being there. _

He froze, and for a long moment he just stood there, his heart twisting in something other than guilt and sorrow at the sincere statement behind her words. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant feeling, but it had been too long since he felt anything like it. The question was if he should allow himself to care about someone again...

Could he trust her?

_"Are...Are we friends now, Vincent?"_

_"What do you think?"_

_"Well...I'd really like to say yes, but that would be kind of presumptuous of me, wouldn't it? It's not friendship if only one of us thinks of it that way..."_

_There was a strange tone to her voice, and a part of him suspected that she might have gone through something like that before. _

_He did his best not to frown. "I...suppose we could be considered friends."_

_"Really?!"_

_"Why do you sound so surprised?"_

_She smiled sheepishly. "Eheh...no reason."_

He allowed himself a smile. Perhaps, he could try one last time. Minerva help him, though, if ShinRa _ever_ hurt her, there would be hell to pay.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

This was new. Apparently, I was a _role model_.

I smiled nervously as I stood in the center of a group of little girls. I'm not really sure how it happened, but some time in between finishing up at Cole's shop the next morning and heading home for lunch, I was cornered and bombarded with giggling admiration.

This was _so_ awkward. What the heck was I supposed to _do_?

It was different with Cloud. He looked up to me, sure (not so much now as before), but it was more in the "Sissy can do _anything_" sort of way, not the "I want to be just like you" way. My past life didn't help much either, seeing as I was both the youngest and was never close enough to my cousins to garner that sort of attention.

To make matters worse, I could see Tifa hovering uncertainly on the edges- like she wanted to join in but didn't at the same time. _Tifa_. Who would grow up to be a thousand times more badass and awesome than I could ever hope to be. Why in the world was she looking up to _me_?

"We want to make potions too! Can you teach us Li-li?"

I blinked. _Li-li?_ Since when did I have _that_ nickname? "Er...sorry Helena, but you need to do real well in school before I could do that."

She pouted and crossed her arms, and I sighed. I was no good with kids...

"It's not that I don't want to. It's just that it's kind of dangerous. I had to read all sorts of books and do lots of homework before I started."

I almost laughed at the way she'd paled when I mentioned homework. I couldn't blame her. No doubt we would have been kindred spirits if we'd actually grown up together. It made me feel a little better.

"Tell you what, once you're done with school, if you still want me to teach you, ask again and I'll see what I can do."

She beamed and nodded the affirmative which, to my immense relief, seemed to settle the other girls down enough to leave. Soon, everyone but Tifa had gone.

"They really look up to you," she began after a moment of silence.

"I guess so."

She frowned slightly. "You don't sound too happy about that."

Jeez, even as a kid, she was pretty observant. "I just don't know if I'm the best role model, is all. I'm kinda nervous that I'm going to mess up or something."

She giggled, and I couldn't help but smile a bit at the sound. "I thought big kids didn't mess up?"

"Whoever told you that has to be the biggest liar _ever_."

She laughed again and the remaining tension between us faded away. I had to admit that it was kind of nice to talk to another girl- one that treated me like an older person instead of a younger one. It was one of the things I missed about being an adult.

"Anyway, did you need something, Tifa?"

"Umm..." She fidgeted for a moment before looking up with a determined expression (which happened to be absolutely adorable, by the way). "I was wondering if you could ask Master Zangan if he could teach me."

I blinked. "Huh?"

This was also new. I had no idea how Tifa came to study under Zangan the first time, but I'm pretty sure it sure wasn't through a third party- and wasn't it also _after_ Cloud had left for ShinRa? What had changed to move that up the timeline? Luckily, she took my confusion for disbelief and only straightened her posture even more.

"I want to learn how to fight."

"Ah...that's all well and good, Tifa, but- uh...are your parents okay with that?"

She huffed and crossed her arms. "Does it matter?"

I couldn't quite stop my laugh, but quickly stifled it when she started glaring. "Tifa, in a small town like this one, things don't stay secret for long. Even if Master agreed to teach you in secret- which is highly doubtful -odds are that _someone_ would find out eventually and tell your parents."

"But that's not fair! Why do you get to fight and not me?!"

"Well, I never asked for it, honestly," I admitted with a wry smile. "The villagers just thought I was too violent, so when Master said he'd help me with that, no one argued. T-That doesn't mean you should start beating people up!" I quickly added when I saw the thoughtful expression on her face. "It just means to not get your hopes up. I'll ask him for you, but that's all I can do. If he agrees, it'll be up to him to convince your ma and da."

She grinned widely and grabbed my wrist. "That's fine. Let's go!"

"W-Wait, Tifa! Slow down!"

She fidgeted impatiently and I laughed. It was kind of funny to see her so eager when she seemed so calm and collected as an adult, but now that I thought about it, that innocence was something that would probably be lost with the destruction of Nibelheim.

I inwardly frowned. I'd never really interacted with Tifa in this life, but from what I could see, she was every part the bright, happy- if slightly tomboyish -nine year old girl. It was endearing, and even though the suffering she went through was part of what made her such a strong person, just like Cloud, a part of me didn't _want_ her to lose it.

Would it really be so bad if she grew up a little differently?

It was hard to say, really. Her life was so closely tied with Cloud's, regardless of the different lives they led. If she grew up without any hardships, it was entirely possible that she wouldn't make it through the battle with Jenova. The only way I could see to avoid it was to keep Jenova from taking over anyone, but the chances of that happening were slim to none.

Then again, things were already starting to change. Maybe Minerva had something in mind...

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Cloud watched Tifa drag Castalia along to Master Zangan's with mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was both amused by how awkward the older girl seemed to be around the younger ones (he supposed that came in hand with having above average intelligence) and glad that Tifa was already on the path to becoming the girl that he knew. On the other, he was a bit confused for that very reason.

The details were a little fuzzy, but he was pretty sure that Tifa hadn't started her martial arts training until some time after he left for Midgar. Had she truly wanted to start earlier, but didn't see an in like she did now? What would this change, if anything? Did he cause this change somehow?

Thoughts for another time, he supposed. For now, he had other things on his mind. Like the rather interesting conversation going on downstairs...

"I'm not entirely comfortable with this, Matt."

"I can't say that I am either, Skye. But so far, there doesn't seem to be anything bad going on in the letters. We shouldn't confront her about them unless he starts hinting at things no decent, self-respecting man his age would _ever_ suggest."

"It's not the age difference I'm worried about! I honestly wouldn't care about that if he proved to be a good man and Cassie truly cared for him. What _does_ bother me are the sorts of things that could come out of her associating with _those_ people. You know as well as I do they're not as they seem. Heaven knows Mr. Bugenhagen provided us with enough proof in all our trips to the canyon."

Cloud frowned, a bit of worry slowly creeping into his gut. Ma sounded really worried, and anything that Bugenhagen warned people about wasn't to be taken lightly (and it was still a bit strange to know his mother knew him now- she'd never travelled to Cosmo Canyon in his old life). Still, he was more than a bit confused at what was going on. Who was Cassie writing to that merited such concern?

"It's a small branch, though, and not very likely to pull attention..." Matt sighed. "Then again, if he _does_ manage to pull one over us and get her to leave, it's highly doubtful she'd stay unnoticed for long- small branch or not. Just _look_ at what they talk about! I knew Cassie was smart, but this- I was learning some of these things in my university classes! Combined with her knowledge of item synthesis, she'd be snatched up by one of the bigger departments in a heartbeat."

"...We can't let that happen, Matt. Not to our little girl."

She sounded so terrified that Cloud fought the urge to run downstairs and comfort her. All the while, his mind was starting to connect the dots, and he did _not_ like where it was leading.

"I know. If it comes down to it, we'll fight tooth and nail to keep her here, but for now, we should just keep an eye on the letters. She doesn't seem to show any signs of wanting to leave Nibelheim, so maybe we might get lucky. This could just be a passing interest coming from her need to learn new things."

"Oh, I hope so. I swear, between her and Cloud, I'm going to worry myself gray in a few years!"

"If you do, I'll be right there beside you," Matt chuckled. "Anyway, I should go put these back before she gets home. It wouldn't do to let her know _we_ know about the letters- they were surprisingly well hidden."

"Then how did you find them?"

"Accident, thank goodness. We probably wouldn't have known otherwise."

Minerva probably had something to do with it too, Cloud thought as he scrambled back onto his bed at the sound of Matt reaching the top of the stairs and heading for Castalia's room. Sending her a quick, mental thanks, he managed to pull a model plane from the shelf above and settle back down onto his stomach in the time it took Matt to reach his door.

Now came the hard part.

Just like with Castalia, he had found himself slowly relaxing around the man. He was a hardworking, honest, and genuinely cared about his mother, Castalia, and himself (although he could do with a bit less of it, if only to be able to _finally_ sneak away for a while). The only problem was that he remembered a different Cloud- one that didn't carry the burdens of another life. Amnesia could only explain away so much, and while he might be able to get away with acting differently around Castalia, who was still young and would likely not think much of it, it was harder to do so with him.

Still, he gave it his best effort in acting the age he looked. He felt he owed the man that much, at least, especially after hearing that last conversation.

It seemed to be working well enough, seeing as Matt smiled when he saw him there. "Hey, Cloud, what are you up to?"

"Playing."

"Yea? I see you're favoring the _Tiny Bronco_ today. You know, Cassie went through quite a lot to get that for you."

He'd almost choked upon hearing the name (although now that he looked at it, the little plane was _identical_ to the one he'd flown on in the future. How had he not noticed that before?) but was able to push it down and look at Matt with not-quite-feigned curiosity. This was another thing that he really appreciated the man for doing. Ever since he'd "forgotten," Matt had made sure to tell him stories about everything, occasionally triggering new memories and giving him a better idea of what his life with them had been like.

"She did?"

He laughed. "Uh-huh. It was actually the year you got your chocobo toy. You see, you'd noticed the plane in a magazine a few months before your birthday. You didn't _say_ anything about it, of course, but all of us could tell you really wanted it. So, your Ma kept the magazine tucked away and about a month before your birthday, we clipped out the order form and sent it in. Two weeks later, we got it back with a letter saying that they didn't make that model anymore."

"Then, how did you get it?"

"Well, Cassie wrote another letter asking them if they could make an exception. There was sure to be people that remembered how to make it, and she told them that she would be willing to pay extra for it."

"And they agreed?"

"No, they still didn't want to. And every time she tried to write after that, her letters came back unopened."

By this point, Cloud didn't even try to deny he was curious. "What happened then?"

Matt grinned, amusement shining in his eyes. "She went through all of your magazines and found Mr. Highwind's address- he's the one who built the real life _Tiny Bronco_. Course, he wasn't too happy when she told him what was going on- it turned out they weren't supposed to have stopped making them yet."

Cloud's eyes widened and he bit back a laugh. Knowing Cid, that couldn't have ended well for the other party.

"Long story short, a different company now makes all the _Highwind_ model planes, and Cassie got one for free as thanks."

Cloud couldn't hold it back anymore. He laughed. Although, with his physical age, he was a little mortified to find out that it was more like a giggle. That feeling eased slightly when he saw how happy it made Matt, but it returned with a vengeance when he was suddenly lifted into the air and he squeaked- actually _squeaked!_ -in protest.

"H-Hey! P-Put me down!"

He was too old to be carried around like this, damn it!

Almost as if reading his thoughts, Matt laughed. "What, too old to play airplane with me now, Cloud?"

Dear Minerva, _yes_!

His voice seemed to have momentarily abandoned him, however. So, it was with a red face and wide eyes that Matt carried him downstairs to the kitchen, where Ma and Castalia- who must have come back sometime during their conversation -watched in amusement.

Now would have been a very good time for the earth to swallow him up.

"Da, you might want to put him down now," Castalia giggled. "If any more blood goes up to his face, he might explode."

"We still have one more loop around the table, Cassie!"

"No!" He cried, uncaring of its whiny quality. _Screw_ his dignity. After this, he wasn't sure he had any _left_. "Put me down! _Please, _Da!"

He froze, as did everyone else in the room, and it was with agonizing slowness that he was placed back on the floor. A part of him wished he was still up in the air so that he could avoid the awkwardness of this situation.

He'd never known his father. Ma said that he had died in an accident on their way to Nibelheim shortly after he was born. That didn't mean that he was eager to replace him, though. He'd always had an idea of him in his mind: strong, brave, caring- everything that a father should be.

...and wasn't that the kind of man Matt _was_?

He absentmindedly bit his lip as the thought came unbidden. He couldn't deny that he'd wanted a father like Matt while he was growing up, but he was an adult now! He was too old to be playing childish games- much less with a man that was technically his age! It had been a slip of the tongue, nothing else.

"Y-You called me Da again..."

But, if that was the case, then why did his heart ache so much at hearing the stifled sob in that statement?

"I..." He looked around the room, noting that Ma and Castalia seemed to be holding their breath before turning back to Matt's painfully hopeful expression. He sighed. How could he deny him this one thing after everything he had done? "Y-Yea."

The next thing he knew, he was in a tight embrace, and his eyes softened at the growing dampness on his shoulder. He knew that he had caused Matt more than a little pain when he first woke up in this new life, but he hadn't realized quite how much it was. How much must Matt have cared about the other Cloud (although it was still technically him, given the extra memories) that he was reduced to tears just because he called him Da?

_'You're too good for me, Matt. I don't know why Minerva put someone like you in my life this time around...'_

He was pretty sure that he would still wonder about his real father, but as he tentatively wrapped his small arms around Matt and asked him not to cry, he couldn't say that he minded having another one all that much anymore.

He wasn't too old for his Ma...so why should he be too old for this?

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

_Hey Dad,_

_How are the front lines? I hear things are at a bit of a standstill over there. I hope you're taking advantage of that to get some food and sleep in you- I know how you are when you're worried. _

_Anyway, you'll be happy to hear that Lieutenant General Sephiroth and friends (I feel like that should be trademarked) have safely made it back to ShinRa. Although...there's this rumor going around that they rode into the building on chocobos. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that now, would you?_

_Auntie tells me that Zian is the same as always (the little brat), but that Alani has come down with a cold (and refuses to believe it because she's "too strong to get sick"). She told me to ask you to send Uncle their love._

_As for me, my training is going well. I think my instructors are going to recommend me for SOLDIER 2nd, but that could just be the pride talking. What I __do__ know is that I'm going to be assigned on a long term mission soon. It's nothing too dangerous, so don't worry. One of the SOLDIERs that was part of an escort group for Mr. Tuesti (he's the new head of Urban Development, in case you didn't know) got on wrong end of a monster or something, so he has to leave and I'm taking his place. It shouldn't take too long- they're already halfway done, I think -but in the meantime, my letters might be a little scarcer. I know how you like traveling, though, so do you want me to pick up some souvenirs? We'll be passing by Rocket Town at some point, so I'll have the chance to send them over..._

_I'll be joining the group at the enclosed address for a while, so you can send me your answer there. For now, I should probably get going. If I want to make it to 2nd and join you over in Wutai, I can't just laze about on my bunk writing letters. Take care, Dad, and wish me luck._

_Lots of love,_

_Your fantastic, awesome, totally cool son who is, without a doubt, the favorite grandchild__._

...

When finished, Iroh tucked his son's letter away with a huff of laughter and a shake of his head.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

So, there's chapter six. Would anyone mind if I said the last two parts totally stole the show?

It wasn't my intention, but this chapter focused a lot more on Cloud than Cassie. I don't mind that, but I hope the rest of you are okay with it. Anyway, not much here as far as the plot moving forward, but I like to think there was some good character progression. Whether or not you agree is a different matter, but I'll delude myself until the first reviews come in.

I actually rewrote the beginning of this chapter a few times, with one of the versions actually having the letters between Castalia and Reeve. They were kind of lame, though, so I cut them out (Nibel dragons and cucumbers, that's all I'm going to say about them). Maybe if I figure out a way to make them sound better, I'll include them, but for now, I think it's best if I let you guys provide your own ideas as to what they wrote about.

Tifa finally made an appearance. In all honesty, I kind of forgot about her for a while. It's not out of dislike or anything, it's just that I was writing about other things. This, I think, actually makes it an accurate representation of what I would have done in that situation. I would be far too busy getting used to my new family and life to try and make connections with "important characters" unless I was practically shoved in their direction, like Cassie was with Vincent. It should also be noted that Tifa doesn't look up to Cassie like the other girls. There's a bit of childish admiration, yes (like most little girls look up to older ones), but she's not aiming to follow in Castalia's footsteps. Tifa is very much her own person, and that's not going to change any time soon.

All that aside, I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter. Sorry it took me so long to get out. I've been pretty busy lately (still am, actually). Thanks for reading. Take care!

**Question:** should I keep Lu-Ten's name as Lu-Ten? Or should I alter it like I did Zian's and Alani's?


	7. Chapter 7

Okay, first of all, I really want to give a big thank you to all of you that have reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story.

I honestly wasn't expecting much when I started this, as OC stories generally don't get a lot of attention, and self inserts are usually ignored altogether. So, while the plot was a little different from the norm, I was still expecting it to be more of a "write for fun" story than anything. Seeing how many people are enjoying it just makes it so much better, you know? I'm glad.

Anyway, I've gotten some pretty mixed opinions as far as the names for the borrowed characters go. Some of you are okay with the way I have it now, others would prefer me to do what I did with Zuko/Zian- keep the name sounding similar but change it nonetheless, and the rest of you want me to keep everyone's names true to the original. I'll think on it a little more, and I might put up a poll of sorts to let you guys decide.

Umm, that's about all I can think of off the top of my head, so I'll just continue with the story. Please read on and enjoy. :)

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Chapter 7

Ten years. Gone in the blink of an eye.

I sighed as yet another failed synthesis curled up into acrid smelling smoke. Cole would be more than a little upset, but I couldn't find it in me to care at the moment.

I was fifteen.

Puberty actually hadn't been that bad this time around. I wondered if it was because I'd already gone through it once, so the hormone thing wasn't as out of balance. I didn't know, I wasn't a doctor.

Zack would be leaving for ShinRa next year, and Cloud in three.

I also learned that the memories of my past life had been slipping away without me noticing. Honestly, I'm surprised that I managed to remember so much for so long, but it was still a pretty big blow when I suddenly realized I couldn't remember things I'd considered important.

I was _scared_.

I was afraid of forgetting my old family, of forgetting what it was that made me who I am, that ShinRa would finally reach Nibelheim next week, that the "game events" were so close now, that so much had already changed (Tifa's ma hadn't died yet, Cloud was training with Master Zangan, my own Ma was _pregnant_ and oh God, that shouldn't have happened and I was the cause of all of this and how much was this going to _change_ things?), terrified of losing my _new_ family to that series of horrible tragedies, anxious and desperate in trying to figure out a way to keep them safe when the inevitable happened-

"Damn it, Castalia! I thought I told you no more experimenting!"

I jumped, wincing when the pestle and mortar I'd been using fell to the floor, shattering with a crash that seemed almost deafening. Cole stepped forward, face red and expression incensed as I hurried to clean it up.

"Cole-"

"Don't you try apologizing! You _know_ how expensive phoenix feathers are, and here you are wasting all of them in silly projects! You're a young woman, Cassie, you should know better by now!"

An increasingly familiar mix of frustration and guilt went through me at his words. Guilt because I knew he had a point and frustration because...well...I wasn't making any _progress_.

A little over two years ago, I'd gotten this...idea.

Phoenix Down was created by combining finely ground phoenix feathers with a special, powdered elixir. The result was a fine, velvety substance that could be applied topically onto an injured person. It was a grueling item to make, as both the feathers and elixir had to be prepared a certain way, but there was no denying that it was a powerful and useful item to have. It was when I had finally managed to make a passable one that inspiration struck.

New medicines were discovered all the time.

Technology was constantly changing and improving.

Revolutionary ideas came out every day.

So, why couldn't I invent something _stronger_ than a Phoenix Down?

I wasn't looking for something to bring back the dead- no matter what world you lived in, no mortal man had the power to do that -but if I could just make something strong enough to _keep_ them from dying should something happen...Something that succeeded where Phoenix Down failed...I knew it was ambitious, and I knew it was probably impossible, but damn if I wasn't going to _try_.

Ma and Da, Cloud and the new baby, Tifa and Vincent...

The clock was ticking, and I would fall apart if I lost them.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Cloud groaned as he stared up at the sky.

"Wanna go again?"

He couldn't quite stop the smile that tugged on his lips. "I think I'm going to call it a day, Tifa."

Tifa shrugged, but there was no mistaking her smug expression. "Okay. See you tomorrow, Cloud."

"Bye."

He sighed quietly when she was gone, all at once proud of her and disgruntled at the fact that he had lost to an eleven year old. He might have had years of fighting experience over her, but it only went so far when his body wasn't ready, and they _had_ agreed to stick to martial arts- something that she had taken to like a duck to water while his mind was fighting his instincts over what to do. He figured that learning a whole new way of fighting when he was used to another could do that, but it was necessary.

He wasn't strong enough yet.

When he had _finally_ managed to evade notice long enough to try heading toward the mansion, he had run into a pack of rather vicious Nibel Wolves. While they would have been nothing for him as an adult, as a child, it was a different matter. One hour and some _really_ close calls later, the wolves decided he wasn't worth the trouble while he decided that he should probably toughen up before trying to wake Vincent.

So, he started training under Zangan.

It hadn't taken all that much to convince him, fortunately. With Castalia and Tifa already training under him, and once he had seen that Cloud was serious about getting stronger, he had agreed. It wasn't what he was used to, but he knew that if he tried any of the exercises he'd done in the future, he'd probably destroy his body. Zangan knew a child's limitations, so it was better to have him decide the whens and hows.

Castalia had been worried at first, which he could understand from an older sibling's perspective, but she had calmed down in time. He still hadn't managed to convince her to spar with him, but given his loss to Tifa...

"Cloud?"

He blinked and pulled himself out of his thoughts in time for the very subject of his thoughts to lean over him with a smile.

"Were you sleeping?"

He sat up and stretched. "No. Just thinking."

"About?"

"Stuff."

"That explains so much," she said with a playful roll of her eyes. "Anyway, Da asked me to find you. It's time for lunch."

"Already?"

"Time flies when you're flirting with pretty girls, Cloud."

He choked. "_Flirt_?! With _Tifa_?!"

She grinned mischievously. "I never said Tifa, but thanks for confirming it."

It was a testament to how close they'd gotten when he felt heat rush to his cheeks.

"I don't like her like that."

He might have once, but with everything that happened, those feelings never had a chance.

"If you say so. Though I suppose I should be grateful that you're not interested in girls right now. Ma says you're going to be a very handsome man when you grow up, and I agree. So, when you do decide to settle down, I'm going to have my hands full chasing the hordes away. I'd prefer to get a little better with my fire materia before then."

"_Castalia_!"

He couldn't decide whether he was embarrassed, appalled, or amused. He settled on fond exasperation when she broke into peals of laughter. Castalia _loved_ getting all sorts of reactions from him and probably considered it a personal challenge when he resisted. He should have been used to it by now, but she still managed to surprise him sometimes.

He was brought out of his thoughts when her expression shifted.

"You know I love you, right Cloud? Even if I tease you a lot?"

He smiled slightly. "You only tell me every day."

Not that he minded. Every time she said it, he couldn't help but feel happy that meant so much to her. Castalia probably knew that too, judging by the way her smile softened. She was quick to pull him into a hug and rest her chin on his head.

"Good. I don't want you to _ever_ doubt it."

Her voice was low, almost as if she was speaking to herself, and he frowned a bit at the way her arms tightened around him. Something was off, but he didn't know what it was...She almost sounded...scared? What could she be scared of?

"...Cass? You okay?"

She pulled away and smiled, but it was still _wrong_. "'M fine, Chicky. It's just me being silly is all. I can't help but worry about you sometimes, y'know?"

He _did_ know. Well, maybe they weren't considering the same dangers, but that didn't mean that their desire to keep each other safe was any less than the other.

"You don't have to worry. I can look after myself."

That didn't cheer her up at all. In fact, her expression actually seemed to become a little...resigned. "I know."

Worry began to stir within him. Castalia wasn't one to get into this sort of mood, and he quickly decided that he didn't like seeing her like that at all.

As if sensing this, she sighed and hugged him again. "Sorry, Cloud. I've been thinking a lot too. I guess a part of me just doesn't want to admit you're growing up."

So _that_ was it. She was just coming to terms with the fact that he didn't need her to "protect" him anymore.

A strange mix of relief and sadness spread through him. While he knew that he'd never really needed her to look after him in the first place, he couldn't help but recall memories of before he'd arrived- the feelings of awe as his "Sissy" stood up for him and defended him from the other boys, and the fierce joy that came from knowing that she would _always_ stand up to them because she do _anything_ and she was his _sister_ and she _cared_-

His eyes stung and his throat felt tight, but he didn't pay that any mind as he hugged her back.

"...Love you, Cloud."

Even if he ended up fighting Sephiroth for the rest of his life, coming back was worth it for this.

"Love you too."

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

It had been coming for some time, he supposed.

"Vincent?...Is something wrong?"

He heard the question, but he remained silent as he considered how to broach the subject.

As she usually did, Castalia had made her way over to the mansion shortly after having lunch with her family. She'd seemed a little subdued, but she'd quickly assured him that it wasn't anything serious. Since nothing of great note had happened in the past few days, he had left it alone.

"I'm sorry if it's no good. Ma's been making some weird stuff because of her cravings, so Da and I've been cooking instead."

Instead, his mind had been preoccupied with another matter. While he had grown fond of Castalia, he could no longer put off the fact that there were too many things that didn't make sense. Small things that might not catch attention on their own, but _together_...

"Cloud thinks that the cooking should be left just to me, though, since Da's kind of comes out weird too. He-...he was the one that made lunch today..."

She was hiding something. Something _important_.

"...Vin?"

"...What are you keeping from me?"

He felt like sighing in resignation when she stiffened. For a long time, she stared at him, eyes wide in surprise before they filled with panic, then sadness and...guilt.

"I guess it was silly of me to think you wouldn't notice anything," she confessed in a near whisper. "But...I wanted to keep it a secret for just a little longer. Even after you went into detail about-...about Hojo's experiments and what Ms. Crescent did to save you."

Her eyes watered. "I knew that I should have told _you_, if no one else, but...But it's just so _crazy_ that I was scared you wouldn't believe me. Or that if you did, you wouldn't want to be my friend anymore. I don't have a lot of friends, Vincent. Not like you. So...I kept putting it off. I'm sorry."

He had to admit that he was a bit curious. What could she be hiding that would make her think these things? However, as much as he wanted to, now wasn't the time to indulge his curiosities. Whatever she was hiding, it was causing her distress.

"...Do you trust me, Castalia?"

"Always."

No hesitation. He had to smile a bit at that.

"Then trust me when I say that I will not abandon you."

His eyes softened when his words seemed to have a profound effect. Did his friendship truly mean so much to her?

"...Thank you, Vincent."

"...Will you tell me?"

She hesitated, but when she met his gaze, she nodded slowly and took a shuttering breath.

"I-I...I had another life, once."

He couldn't quite stop himself from frowning slightly in confusion, but he remained silent as she ran a hand through her hair and continued.

"It's been so long that my memories of it are starting to feel like a dream, but there are parts of it that I try to remind myself of every day. Like my family."

"The merchants?"

She shook her head. "Not them. I never really knew _them_."

There was a moment of silence as she seemed to struggle with something. Finally, she sighed and he saw a flash of anxiousness and resignation in her eyes before she looked away.

"It was a different family...A different _world_."

_World_?

"What do you mean?"

He was startled at the slightly hysterical laugh that escaped her. "I mean a world that's not Gaia. Can you imagine how _confused_ I was to suddenly wake up in a world that I didn't think was real? To realize that I was a kid again when the last thing I remembered was being an _adult_?" She buried her face into her hands. "I thought I was going _crazy_. Sometimes, I _still_ wonder..."

He pushed down his mounting concern- and disbelief -in order to carefully think over what he'd just been told. There was a very high probability that Castalia _was_ suffering from some sort of mental instability (_a result of whatever had caused the destruction of the merchant caravan?_), but he would prefer to leave that as the final option. He wasn't going to make any sort of decision until he knew _everything_.

"What was that world called?"

Her head jerked up, and he couldn't fault her for the suspicion that colored her features (it was hard to believe no matter _how_ one looked at it and she _knew_ that), but he remained firm. Slowly, she relaxed, and he knew he'd made the right decision in hearing her out when she gave him a tiny, yet painfully _hopeful_ smile before answering the question.

An hour later, and his thoughts were _reeling_.

As _impossible_ as it seemed (_hislifeandthoughtsandfeelingsand_everything_aboutthisworldwasjusta_game_?)_, it made all the little discrepancies he'd noticed click together with a frightening amount of sense.

She'd _known_.

From the moment they'd met, she'd known who he was and what he'd gone through. As that disconcerting realization sunk in, he felt a jolt as it brought forth another question.

...Had that been the reason she'd befriended him? Had she truly cared about him at all, or had everything just been in the interest of meeting a "character" that she liked?

...No.

Whatever her circumstances might have been, he knew she had accepted her life here was as real as the one she'd had before. That the people _here_ were real. Perhaps they might not have existed in that sense on Earth, but who was to say that the man that "created" their world hadn't just glimpsed it somehow and credited it to his own imagination?

"Please _say_ something, Vincent."

She wouldn't look so terrified if she didn't care.

She wouldn't fret when Cloud got hurt and vent her worries about protecting him (which had a whole new meaning to them now) even when it was just something minor.

She wouldn't smile so brightly when talking about the new baby or how her father was driving her mother crazy by being overprotective.

She wouldn't sound so fond, yet exasperated, when regaling him with the Lockheart girl's latest bout of mischief.

...She wouldn't be crying big, heaving, _heartbroken_ sobs like she was now because his silence had dragged on for far too long and she'd gotten the wrong idea.

"Foolish girl," he murmured as he sat beside her to pull her close. "How could I not believe you when you've given me no reason to do so?"

He wasn't at all surprised when she cried harder.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

"Cloud?"

Cloud blinked and turned from the book he'd been reading to see Matt standing in the doorway.

"Yea?"

The man seemed to consider something before sighing and walking over to his bed and sitting down. "I know it's a bit late, but...how do you feel about the baby?"

He stared at him in confusion. "...Feel?"

Matt fidgeted and rubbed the back of his neck. "You know...since I'm your step-da."

Oh...

He snorted.

"I'm serious."

Cloud smiled slightly, both amused that he was asking at all and touched at his consideration. "I know."

There was a brief silence.

"...So?"

"So what?"

"_Cloud_."

Oh, Castalia was _definitely_ rubbing off on him. He was starting to enjoy teasing people. Matt had probably been honestly worried about this, though, so it was time to put him at ease.

"I'm fine with it, Da."

"Really?"

"Mmhmm."

"You're not mad or upset or anything?"

He almost snorted again. As it was, a slight snicker did escape. "No, Da. I'm happy about it. Really."

He was a little worried, to be honest. This was a _big_ step away from the past that he'd known and he wasn't sure what it would change, if anything, but he truly was happy about it. How could he be upset when he saw how happy it made his mother?

"I just wanted to be sure..."

Which already put him above countless other men who didn't take children into account.

"Okay," and just because he couldn't resist, "Feel better?"

Now Matt snorted. "I shouldn't have worried, huh?"

"Nope...but thanks anyway."

Matt smiled and ruffled his hair, which brought forth a halfhearted protest. Normally, he didn't like people doing that, but he supposed he could let it slide this time.

"Night, Cloud."

"Night, Da."

Cloud lay back down when he left and stared up at the ceiling for a few minutes, lost in thought. Finally, he smiled and placed his book on his nightstand before turning off the light.

Soon, he would wake Vincent. That would mark the end of these peaceful times and the beginning of the hard ones, but for now...

For now, he would relish the time he had.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~Chapter End**

Oh my gosh. Five in the morning and I finally finished this chapter. See, this is why inspiration can be a _bad_ thing. I need _sleep_, dang it!

Anyway, as you can see, there was a bit of a time skip. Two years, in fact. That places Cassie at fifteen and Cloud at eleven. A lot of stuff is starting to change, and yet none of it is canon related. Cloud has learned to relax a bit and is currently enjoying his second childhood, while Castalia is starting to tread away from those innocent times.

Honestly, I hadn't been planning on having Vincent find out so soon, but darn if he didn't get away from me and decide on his own. I figure it's still acceptable, though. At this point in time, they would have known each other for five years now, and it wasn't the sort of "see you once every other month" sort of knowing that the canon characters had with him. She visits at least every day, so they're closer.

I hope I pulled it off okay. Let me know if I didn't, okay? I will seriously go back and edit this if it came out bad.

So...I'm going to go get at least thirty minutes of sleepy time before someone wakes me up. Sorry that I haven't replied to some of your reviews, but I promise I'll get to it. Hope you enjoyed. Take care and until next time everyone.

P.S.

I will love you guys forever if someone made me some fan art. I've always wanted for someone to like my stories so much that they have to draw something from it. You don't have to, but…if you do make something, let me know.


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